Only Joking: A Fred Weasley Story
by missalex3030
Summary: Kaydynce Lupin, one-third of the "Troublesome Trio," wreaks havock through the halls of Hogwarts with none other than Fred and George Weasley. But when secrets are revealed and feelings begin to develop, things become complicated for Kaydynce, and the years of carefree fun seem to be a thing of the past.
1. Chapter 1

**Only Joking**

**Chapter One**

"Hush, Ginger," a small brunette said in annoyance, plopping down on the floor in front of a tiny crate. Her orange and white cat moaned from its carrying case for the millionth time, her green eyes longing for freedom.

"We'll be back at Hogwarts soon," she cooed poking one short finger through the cage, stroking the kitten's soft fur soothingly.

"Kaydynce, are you nearly ready to leave, darling?" Remus called from downstairs.

She jumped up from the floor and stuffed the last of her clothes inside of her trunk and sat down heavily on top of the lid, buckling it shut with a bit of a struggle.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a second," she called back, surveying her tidy bedroom for anything she may have forgotten. Deciding she had everything packed, she produced her wand from the back pocket of her jean shorts and was about to mutter a levitation charm when Remus gasped from the doorway.

"No, Kaydynce!" he practically yelled, gripping the end of her wand, tugging it from her hands gently. "You can't do magic outside of school, especially here at Headquarters. The ministry will track it in a heartbeat."

Kaydynce had forgotten that she was not at the Burrow with her friends this summer. While the Weasleys were having a grand old time in Egypt, she was stuck here with all of the adult members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Kaydynce rolled her warm brown eyes and smacked her forehead lightly.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I completely forgot," she said gripping the handle of her heavy trunk, lifting it with great effort.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kaydy. I'll take it for you," he said, his tired coffee colored eyes sparkling as he smiled and flicked his wand at the baggage. The oversized black suitcase hovered out of Kaydy's hand and she smirked up at Remus as he sent her luggage floating from her bedroom.

"Ready to go?" he asked, aiming his wand at the suspended trunk in the doorway. Kaydy nodded her head, running her violet nails through her brown waves.

"Then let's head off to the station," Remus said walking swiftly from the room, Kaydy following closely behind him.

Remus placed the trunk on the worn out floor of number twelve, Grimmauld Place and held out his arm. Kaydy gripped it tightly as Remus held onto the handle of the suitcase.

Kaydy scrunched her eyes shut as she felt the oxygen being squeezed from her lungs. She clung to Remus' arm and struggled to breathe. Just as she began feeling a bit light headed, she felt the stone floor of King's Cross Station present beneath her feet and Remus' firm hands were steadying her until she was able to find her balance. She gasped, filling her lungs with the warm, fresh air, while Remus hoisted her trunk onto a trolley, leading them on their way.

"I'm thrilled you'll be joining me at Hogwarts this year," she said mischievously, watching his surprised reaction from the corner of her eye.

"How did you know that already?" he asked, a smirk appearing on his pasty, gaunt face.

"I have my ways," she said playfully, with a devilish glint in her eyes. He chuckled deep in his throat as he watched her skip ahead of the trolley, twirling in a graceful circle or two. He observed the way her wavy brown hair orbited around he shoulders, bouncing attractively down her back once she stopped spinning, and he admired the beautiful, immaculate young woman he had raised.

_Remus Lupin had found Kaydynce after a vicious battle in Nottingham: one between Aurors and Death , a young member of the Order of the Phoenix, was sent after the battle was finished to recover the bodies of any deceased Order members. Instead of retrieving corpses, he had stumbled upon a baby girl of no more than one year old, wrapped securely in a ratty, old blanket, sleeping soundly. She was all alone, surrounded by rubbish and the remains of buildings that were blown to pieces during the brutal duel. She began to stir as Remus stepped closer, wand at the ready. And as her big brown eyes fluttered open, she began to cry, panic overtaking her as she didn't recognize her surroundings, or the man standing before shushed her and scooped her into his arms and brought her back to Dumbledore to decide what to do with this child._

_"I would suggest bringing the child to an orphanage, Remus," he had advised, pacing the floor of Grimmauld Place, his mind clearly somewhere else. Remus couldn't blame Dumbledore for being reserved about it. Four of his men had just disappeared, so, a lost child was certainly not his first concern, though Remus had hoped that Dumbledore would have been a little more helpful. Remus glanced at his best friends, James and Lily, who looked up at him sympathetically while Lily held their own newborn son close to her chest, rocking him to sleep. Nearby, Sirius Black held the little girl in his arms tickling her ribs, watching her giggle._

_"We can't just abandon her now," Remus said watching Sirius play with her, a wolf-like grin stretched across his rugged face, completely oblivious to everybody else in the room. "Sirius loves her already. We can't just take her away from him," Remus said more to himself than to Dumbledore, watching his dearest friend glow with joy._

_"Yes, I do see what you mean," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses, his eyes following Remus' gaze._

_"Sirius," Dumbledore beckoned. Sirius instantly stopped laughing with the baby and strolled over, carrying the delicate little girl on his hip._

_"I wonder," he said wistfully watching Sirius closely. "Would you like to, perhaps, adopt the child?" Sirius' brown eyes widened and he looked down at the baby on his hip. She had placed her tiny head on his shoulder as though it belonged there, her dark brown hair curling on the ends. She sighed softly, closing her eyes and snuggling her face into his shoulder. Sirius brought his glassy eyes back to Dumbledore._

_"I'd love to," he said with an elated smile._

_Mere months later, the Potter's whereabouts were uncovered and they were murdered by the Dark Lord himself. Though it had been deemed impossible, their son, Harry, survived the killing curse that grim Halloween night. Voldemort vanished undetected. The first person everyone accused to have been affiliated with the murder of James and Lily Potter was their best friend, Sirius Black._

_Remus could not accept that two of his dearest friends were dead because of another close friend's betrayal. But the evidence was convincing and, whether Remus believed it or not, Sirius would be thrown into Azkaban, leaving his new daughter, Kaydynce Leanne, alone once more. Molly Weasley insisted the child live with her and her children, but Remus declined and kept Kaydynce to himself, knowing it was what Sirius would have wanted for her._

"Take your trolley and go on ahead of me," he called after her. Kaydy hurried back to his side, taking control of the cart, pushing it through the crowded station. Remus rubbed his tired eyes, refusing to let the tears burst forth. He missed his friends dearly, Sirius included. Once he regained his composure, he followed tiredly after her and they soon reached the entry to platform nine and three quarters. He laid a bony hand on her shoulder, turning her gently to face him. She stared up at him, waiting for him to speak, her brown eyes wide with wonder.

"Kaydy, you're growing up so fast," he said and Kaydy backed away from him quickly, shaking her head vigorously.

"Don't," she said with a nervous laugh, reluctant to hear his speech that she knew would leave her misty eyed.

"I'll be quick, don't worry," he chuckled softly. "As I was saying," he continued. "You're growing up so fast and I wanted you to know that I've always thought of you as, well… as my daughter." Kaydy looked down, forcing her tears back into her brown eyes. She knew nothing of her past, besides what Remus had told her: that she was discovered after a battle and Remus took her into his home straight away.

"You're a brilliant young witch. You're wise, and talented, and beautiful. I want you to know how proud I am of you," he said, his voice a little shakier than usual, as though he were fighting back tears as well. Kaydy looked up at him and quickly flung herself into his embrace, sniffling away the few tears that she had let slip down her tan cheeks. He held her tiny body against his bony chest and patted her hair lovingly.

"Alright," he said clearing his throat and pulling away from her gently. "We'd better go through before the barrier closes." Kaydy nodded and brushed the tears from her tan skin and began shoving the trolley forward again, gaining speed with each step she took. She grinned as she sprinted forward, running straight through the brick wall leading to the Hogwarts Express.

Like every year prior, she stared in awe at the scarlet locomotive as numerous magical families crowded together on the platform. She pushed her cart out of the way of the entrance, in order to avoid being knocked over. Remus ran through the barrier and stood beside Kaydy.

"Are you excited to see the twins again?" he asked lifting her suitcase off of the trolley for her. Kaydy grinned to herself, clearly picturing the smiling faces of her identical best friends.

"Of course I am," she said happily. "I've missed all of the Weasleys to death."

Remus had always made certain that Kaydynce was welcome in the Weasleys' home. Molly and Arthur truly loved her, and she them, and she was always treated like one of their own children. Kaydynce had never had a family like the Weasleys'. She never had a big family to spend the holidays with, nor had she ever had any brothers or sisters to bicker with over whose turn it was to wash the dishes or mop the floors. For the first five years of her life, it was just her and Remus.

When Remus introduced her to the Weasleys when she was six years old, it was a completely new life to Kaydy. The Burrow was rather small for the number of people living inside of it, but the Weasleys never seemed to notice, nor complain. For the first time in her life, Kaydynce witnessed what a happy marriage really looked and felt like through Molly and Arthur Weasley. Even with seven children roaming around, they never seemed to be overwhelmed or unhappy with the path they had ended up on. In fact, they were very grateful and wouldn't have it any other way. Kaydynce strived to have a marriage, a life, like Molly and Arthur, filled with laughter, honesty, and a fierce love for one another.

Kaydy had missed all of the Weasleys terribly over the holiday and couldn't wait to be back at school where she could spend every day with her best mates again.

"Why don't you go ahead and find your friends. I'll see you once we arrive," Remus said handing Kaydy her luggage. She nodded and lugged her trunk behind her, dragging it through the narrow corridors in search of an empty compartment.

"Want help with that?"

Kaydy turned around and found herself staring into the icy blue eyes of Draco Malfoy. Draco stood at least four inches taller than her. The infamous smirk on his face faltered for a moment, almost becoming a soft smile, before quickly returning to its normal sneer.

"No, I'm fine, Malfoy," she said, doubting he was actually going to help her, and risk the others witnessing a sheer act of kindness.

"Allow me," he said smacking her hand away lightly, lifting the suitcase easily. She watched as he pushed smaller children out of his way, trying to find an empty compartment. She smiled apologetically at as many first years as she could while she jogged to keep up with Draco.

He slid the glass door open, allowing Kaydy to enter the empty room first. He followed closely behind, hoisting her luggage onto the wire rack above the cushioned seats.

Kaydynce was the only person to know the other side- the good side- of Draco Malfoy. She saw him beyond the cold, hard exterior, straight through to the caring, terrified core of him. Kaydy had become quite close with Draco during his first year, her second. She had given him the benefit of the doubt and refused to pass judgments on him until she knew everything there was to know about him. At first, Draco hated Kaydy and loathed her persistent nature. But he couldn't resist opening up to her, because Kaydy had a gift for making people feel at ease. She gave him comfort and support that he could get nowhere else and soon enough, he was eager to share his emotions with her. He knew she wouldn't hate him for making a rude, arrogant remark, like he often did. Draco had never let anybody into his life, into his heart, the way he had let Kaydy. In each other, they had somebody to confide in, someone they could tell their deepest feelings and scariest thoughts to without being judged. They had a bond, with an unbreakable trust in one another.

Although they had agreed to keep their friendship a secret, Kaydy couldn't resist telling Fred and George about it, praying that they would give Draco a chance. But, she knew there was really no hope, since Draco and his family had ridiculed the Weasleys for ages. It was hard for Kaydynce to look past that, herself. The Weasleys were, after all, considered family in her eyes and she had been present for most of the Malfoys' cruel, supercilious remarks toward them. But once Kaydy had finally gotten Draco alone, she learned that he isn't so despicable when his father is not around. Draco would never dream to let anyone know of the deep hatred he felt toward his father. Besides Kaydy, he would never tell a soul of the horrible things Lucius Malfoy expects his son to do with pride to bring honor to their family. Perhaps if he did, he would have more true friends like Kaydynce in his life, rather than 'friends' who fear him.

"Thanks, Draco," she said with a sincere smile. He nodded to her and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Kaydynce Lupin!"

The two of them turned to look at the tall, redhead standing in the doorway of the compartment. He grinned, as did she, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her into the air effortlessly. She giggled into his shoulder, returning his hug, before he set her back on her feet. He glanced over at Draco and glared for a moment before moving his gaze to his feet. Seconds later, another boy with fiery red hair, identical to his twin, grinned from the corridor, his hazel eyes twinkling as he stared at Kaydy. She smiled back at him, waiting to be captured in his warm grasp, but as his eyes fell to Draco, she watched as the sparkle in them evaporated.

"Oi, Malfoy!" he said stepping into the compartment, his eyes staring directly to Draco. "What do you think you're doing?" he looked down at Draco in disgust, towering over him.

"Fred, calm down," she said wrapping her fingers loosely around his forearm. "He helped me get my luggage to the compartment, that's all." The boy, called Fred, relaxed at her gentle touch and glanced down at her, his expression softening before turning to face Draco again.

Draco dropped his hateful eyes to the floor, his sneer present on his lips, and stared at the carpet beneath his shoes for a moment. He brought his gaze back to Kaydy's repentant eyes and flashed a half smile at her.

"I'll be seeing you, Kaydynce," he said glancing back at Fred, throwing him a quick glower before leaving the compartment. Kaydy watched him go, staring after him long after he was out of view. She could tell that he had wanted to curse Fred, but at least Draco makes an effort to spare Kaydy.

Draco never wanted her to feel torn between him and the twins, probably because he knew he would never win. So, he did his best to control his hate towards them to keep her in his life. George tried to do the same. Although he despised Draco just as much as the other Weasleys, he always made an attempt to be civil towards him by biting his tongue or ignoring his presence completely, and Kaydy appreciated his efforts. She hated that Fred would never do the same, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to blame him either. Draco was always nasty to the Weasleys, even after Kaydy came along. She had hoped with all her might that by befriending Draco, the rivalry between Gryffindors and Slytherins, or at least Weasleys and Malfoys, would diminish. But when Draco suggested they kept their friendship out of the public eye, she knew that the hostility between the two houses and families would stay as is.

Fred turned around to face Kaydy with a sheepish smile on his innocent face. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against his chest and breathed in her sweet scent.

"Honestly, Fred, did you have to scare the poor boy?" she joked giggling softly into his green shirt. He chuckled and let her go, taking a seat across from his twin. Kaydy plopped down beside him and pulled her knees casually to her chest, which Fred couldn't help but notice, had gotten quite larger and fuller.

"How was your summer, boys?" she asked snapping him from the inappropriate thoughts he should not be having about his younger best friend.

"It was great! Egypt was spectacular," his brother said excitedly.

"But surely Ron will love to tell her all about that, George," Fred stated rolling his eyes.

"He's been flashing about a clipping of us," George said.

"He's showing anyone that'll look, really," Fred continued.

"The day maid-"

"The night maid-"

"Some bloke who fixed the toilet-"

"And a wizard from Belgium!" they both said together. Kaydy laughed quietly shaking her head, allowing her light brown waves to fall over her beautiful face, concealing her dazzling white smile.

"Leave your baby brother alone, Fred!" she said slapping his arm playfully. His twin laughed loudly from the seat across from them and Kaydy looked at him with a false glare in her eyes.

"You too, George!" she scolded, causing the brothers to laugh harder.

"You sound like Mum, Kaydy," George said knotting his fingers behind his head getting comfortable as the train rolled forward, embarking on the journey back to Hogwarts.

Within minutes, a low snore sounded from George, and Fred and Kaydy looked at each other, shaking their heads. He watched her twist a strand of hair around her purple nails, staring at her intently, examining her appearance.

Fred noticed that her hair had gotten much longer over the holiday and it draped well beyond her broad shoulders in cascading chocolate colored waves. She had also acquired spectacular curves which graced her body to perfection. She was definitely more mature than the other girls in her year. Her warm brown eyes seemed to smile, the way they normally did. Fred loved Kaydy's eyes. They were his favorite physical feature she had possessed. His eyes scanned the bronzed skin of her slender arms and legs, yearning to run his fingers along the satin-like flesh. Fred knew she was, by far, the most attractive witch in the fourth year, if not all of Hogwarts.

"So, what's new with you, Freddy?" she asked smiling up at Fred. Her smooth, soft voice overwhelmed him and he mirrored her smile for a second.

"Nothing really," he said looking away from her shrugging his shoulders. He ran his hands through his short ginger hair, ruffling it up a bit.

"I see you've gotten closer with Malfoy," he said with venom in his voice. Kaydy rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulders, avoiding Fred's piercing stare.

"I guess so," she said shortly.

He rolled his eyes and angled his body to face her. She tried not to meet his gaze, but gave in and stared back at him. He raised an orange eyebrow, urging her to continue. She groaned and ran her nails through her hair irritated. She always knew she would regret having told Fred about the friendship she had built with Draco.

"We wrote a lot this summer," she said. "He's not as bad as you think he is," she defended with the same argument she had been using for the past two years, refusing to look at Fred's face this time.

"Oh no, I bet he's real sweet and compassionate, right?" he mocked crossing his arms. "A perfect Prince Charming?" Kaydy glared daggers at him, pursing her lips together.

"You don't even know him," she said through her teeth, trying to keep her voice down, as not to wake George from his slumber.

"I know he's a right foul git who doesn't deserve your affection," he said angrily. "All he cares about is blood, Kaydy. And for all you know, you could be a muggle-born. Then, he'd treat you like rubbish."

"Stop it!" she said in a hushed yell. "He's a different person than you know him to be. Just leave it alone," she begged, desperately pleading with her eyes. She tore her stare away from his and let her misty eyes dart around the room, avoiding his sorrowful stare. Fred knew that it killed Kaydy not knowing about her past.

"Sorry," he whispered, noticing the tears rimming her eyes. She ignored him and wrapped her arms around her flat stomach.

"Hey," he said a little louder, tugging on her elbow until she looked up at him. "I'm sorry," he said again. This time, Kaydy shut her eyes and half-smiled up at him, nodding her head in acceptance.

"You know what I think?" he asked in a light tone and Kaydy couldn't help but smile at the smirk in his voice. She looked up at his freckled face, waiting for him to continue. "I think you have a crush on Mr. Malfoy," he teased, chuckling as her eyes widened.

"I do not!" she said loudly, covering her mouth with her hand as George stirred across from them.

"Sure, you don't," Fred said, his voice laced with disbelief. Kaydy just rolled her eyes, deciding not to waste her breath arguing with him.

"Well, you know what I think?" she asked looking up at Fred with a devious grin playing on her pink lips.

"What?" he asked looking down at her, his eyes dancing across her stunning face.

"I think you're jealous," she said poking his hard chest. His eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows and lifted his hands, poking at her sides, tickling her until tears poured from her eyes. Fred pulled her easily against his chest, draping his arm over her shoulders as she snuggled closer to him.

"So what if I am jealous?" he asked staring down at his best friend seriously. She glanced up at him, caught off guard by the meaningful tone in his voice. And her lips parted, but before any words could escape, the train lurched forward, nearly sending them both to the floor. Fred tightened his grip on Kaydy as she squealed, preventing her from falling and she held onto his green t-shirt. George's eyes snapped open, and he looked around frantically.

"What's happened?" he asked as the lights in the train flickered and it got terribly cold.

"We've stopped," Kaydy said stating the obvious, and the lights shut off completely. "Why have we stopped? We can't be there yet," she said looking around the darkened compartment. She curled up against Fred and tried to stay warm as the temperature seemed to drop with each passing second. Kaydy's teeth chattered and she buried her face into Fred's chest, feeling him tremble beneath her.

"What the bloody hell was that?" George exclaimed shuffling a little closer to the door. Kaydy lifted her head, but Fred pulled her face back to his torso, forbidding her to see what had frightened George.

"Don't, Kay, it's nothing," he cooed in her ear rocking her back and forth. The compartment door slammed open and closed again, and Kaydy wrenched her head away from Fred to see Draco Malfoy panting in their compartment, clearly scared out of his wits. Fred and George exchanged a confused glance and Kaydy watched Draco as he pressed his pale forehead against the glass of the compartment door.

Minutes later, light filled the compartment and the train jerked forward, continuing on its way to school. Draco fled from the compartment and George poked his head into the corridor, asking nearby students if they had seen anything.

"Are you alright, Kay?" Fred asked holding her tighter as she shuddered. She nodded and pushed herself away from Fred when Angelina Johnson burst into the compartment.

"Fred!" she squealed, her dark brown eyes wide with panic. "You're okay!" She jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and Kaydy looked away sullenly, sliding across the cushion away from Fred.

"I'm fine," he said into her long raven black hair. She pulled away from him and kissed his cheek before sitting down in the seat George had previously occupied.

"Oi! Lee, did you see anything?" George called darting out of the compartment. Kaydy watched him leave, feeling the awkward air creep towards her. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her thin, bare legs, in a desperate attempt to make herself as small as possible.

While Angelina captured Fred in a deep conversation about Quidditch, Kaydynce took the time to really examine her features. Angelina Johnson, one of the chasers for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, had unbelievably long, toned legs and a body to die for. Kaydynce envied Angelina's slender figure, with curves in all the right places. She looked older than fifteen, much more developed than most of the other fifth years in Hogwarts. The dark brown color of her skin seemed to glow, even under the poor lighting the compartment had to offer. She had brown eyes with subtle hints of gold when the light hit them properly with long black eyelashes, which she'd bat with effortless precision. She giggled enthusiastically, flashing a brilliant white smile, as she laid her manicured fingers flirtatiously on Fred's knee. He smirked back at her and continued to crack jokes, dying to keep her laughing. Kaydy stood abruptly, unable to watch the sickening love scene play out any longer, and left the compartment unnoticed.

As soon as she left the compartment, she realized she had nowhere else to go until they arrived at , she wandered aimlessly, refusing to return to her unavailable compartment.

"Kaydy!"

She glanced behind her, meeting the chocolate brown eyes of the youngest Weasley. Ginny quickly engulfed Kaydy in a tight hug, locking her thin arms around Kaydy's bony waist. She gladly accepted and returned the embrace wholeheartedly.

"I've missed you, Ginny!" Kaydynce said into Ginny's straight red hair.

"I've missed you too!" she squeaked letting go of Kaydy's waist. "Whenever you're not around, Fred and George tend to pick on me more," she said with a laugh. Kaydy laughed too, knowing it was the truth. This summer was the first holiday in a few years that Kaydy had not spent with the Weasleys. Molly and Arthur had invited Kaydynce to join them in Egypt, of course, seeing as how they had always considered her a part of the Weasley clan, but Kaydy couldn't impose. Not to mention, she didn't like the idea of being so far away from Remus.

It was Kaydy's self-proclaimed responsibility to take care of Remus when the time would come for him to transform into his werewolf state. He never liked the idea much, but Kaydy refused to let him endure the transformation alone. Remus never wanted Kaydy to be present during his 'bad nights', but she feels that she must protect Remus as much as she can.

Kaydynce had known of Lupin's condition since she was five years old. He hadn't taken his potion one night, and he couldn't get away fast enough, and Kaydy watched him morph before her eyes. All she can remember thinking was, _"I need protection. I need to help him and keep myself safe too."_

As a young child, Kaydy, like most magical children, did not know how to control her magic. She never imagined that her distressed, frantic thoughts would change her, giving her an animagus in the form of a giant wolf. Her tan, black and grey fur blew in the breeze as Remus turned and looked at her through his bloodshot eyes. He howled loudly, throwing his head back, and Kaydy stood her ground, trying to remain calm for Remus. He bolted away from her and into the forest behind their home and Kaydynce followed after him, willingly putting herself in danger in order to protect her guardian.

Kaydy knew that if she hadn't witnessed his condition first hand, Remus probably wouldn't have introduced her to the Weasleys at all. She was wise enough to know that he had sent her there to try to keep her away from him during his 'time of the month,' but she still managed to sneak away if, and when, the occasion called for it.

"Wanna come with me to find Harry?" Ginny asked. "And Ron and Hermione," she quickly added, a faint blush coming to her pale cheeks. Kaydy smirked down at her, fully aware of the intense crush she had on Harry. And she nodded, following Ginny down the narrow hallways of the Hogwarts Express train in search of the Golden Trio.

"They're in here, Gin," Kaydy said sliding open one of the compartment doors.

A boy with flaming red hair sat beside another boy with messy black hair and emerald eyes hidden behind round glasses. Across from them, sat a young girl with light brown curly hair and slightly large front teeth.

"Hello, Kaydy!" the redhead stood up, giving her a tight hug.

"How are you, Ronald?" she asked locking her arms around his neck.

"Great, we missed you in Egypt!" he said and the rest of the compartment groaned, probably expecting Ron to dive into his tales of his holiday for the millionth time.

"I missed you guys too. You'll have to tell me all about your trip later," she said and the girl sitting in the compartment smiled up at her thankfully. Kaydy winked down at Hermione and moved out of Ron's grasp.

"Hey, Kaydy," the black haired boy said distantly. She smiled at him and sat beside him crinkling her eyebrows skeptically, looking him over carefully.

"You alright, Harry?" she said pressing the backside of her hand to his forehead, his skin clammy and warm.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said distractedly. "Did you hear a woman screaming earlier?" he asked looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"Why? Were you giving her a reason to scream?" she joked raising her thin brown eyebrow at him. The others laughed at her raunchy joke and Harry forced a chuckle shaking his head.

"No, I didn't," she said seriously. "Why do you ask?"

"When the Dementor-"

"Is that what it was? Bloody hell!" Kaydy said, her brown eyes doubled in size. "Sorry, go on," she said seriously again.

"When the Dementor came into the compartment, it," he trailed off twiddling his thumbs nervously. Ron glanced at Ginny, rushing to shove her out of the compartment.

"It went straight for Harry and, well, it sort of sucked the life out of him for a moment or two," Hermione continued for him, terror in her eyes as she spoke. Kaydy's jaw dropped and she grasped Harry's cold hand in her own and looked him in his green eyes.

"What was it like?" she asked, feeling Harry's hand shake, his fear radiating from his palm into hers.

"I felt like I was reliving every bad moment of my life," he whispered. "And then I heard a woman scream right before I blacked out." Kaydy wrapped her arms around him to provide comfort. He let her cradle him and he sighed deeply into her hair.

"I just don't understand why it chose me, and not the others," he said thoughtfully, lacing his fingers with Kaydy's.

"I don't know why these things happen to you, Harry. But you handle all of these horrific circumstances marvelously," she said kissing his cheek and standing up. "When you get to school, go see the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He should be able to help you." And with that, Kaydy left the compartment, reluctantly returning to her own, knowing they would be arriving at Hogwarts soon and she needed to change into her school robes.

When she slid the glass door open, she found Fred sitting alone. He glanced up at her before quickly looking out the window again, a disappointed look in his eyes.

"Nice to see you too," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" he asked looking her up and down subtly.

"Were you expecting Angelina?" she asked cynically, standing up on her tiptoes to retrieve her robes from her trunk. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but it's just little old me." Even on the tips of her sneakers, her fingers only just brushed the edge of her suitcase and she let out a frustrated groan. As Fred's long arm reached over her head, Kaydynce felt the warm muscles of his front press against her back. He gripped the wire rack in his hand and leaned his weight on that one arm, staring down at her as she turned to face him, realizing just how close they were. Her chest pressed against his with every breath, and she craned her neck to look into his hazel eyes and stared crossly as he smirked down at her.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a wee bit jealous, Kaydynce," he whispered, leaning closer to her, watching her brown eyes dart from his eyes to his lips.

"So what if I am," she murmured, inhaling his scent of honey and brown sugar. His hazel eyes widened for a split second and he stepped away from her a little bit. Otherwise, he seemed to have ignored her comment and he yanked her robes out of her trunk, tossing them to her playfully, as though she had said nothing out of the ordinary. She caught them easily and walked slowly out of the room, trying her hardest not to sway on her way to the changing sections.


	2. Chapter 2

** Only Joking**

**Chapter Two**

"What's Remus doing here?" George asked sitting down across from Kaydy.

She glanced up at the professors' table, noticing her beloved guardian seated towards the end of the table beside an enormous, cheerful man. Kaydynce waved inconspicuously to the man with an elated smile on her pretty face. He smiled back and bowed his head, acknowledging her greeting. His wiry hair fell against his pale face, hiding his brown eyes behind stringy curtains of tan and gray.

"Blimey, he's not the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, is he?" Fred asked swinging his legs over the bench, sitting down casually to Kaydy's left.

"Yeah, he is," she said slowly, watching Fred skeptically.

The Great Hall grew louder and louder as more students filed in and found a seat at their designated House tables. The twins exchanged a grim glance that Kaydy noticed without much effort.

"Is that a problem?" she asked defensively, a thin brown eyebrow rising up her tan forehead.

"Oh, come off it. You know that we like Remus," Fred said nudging her in the ribs with his elbow.

"It's just that," George stopped himself, catching Fred's warning glare.

"What?" Kaydynce asked looking up at Fred, waiting for him to answer her.

"It's just…That job is a jinx," he said lowering his voice to a soft whisper.

"What are you on about?" she asked shaking her head in doubt.

"Haven't you noticed?" George asked quietly leaning closer to her across the bare table.

"Every professor that has been given that post has gone mad," Fred said quietly. "Or died," he muttered.

Deep in conversation, the three of them ignored the eleven year olds as they were sorted. They were oblivious to their fellow Gryffindors' cheers and applauses that would erupt each time a first year was sorted into their House.

"I think you two have gone mad," Kaydy scoffed, shaking her head at them.

"Don't you remember Quirrell?" Fred asked determined to convince Kaydy that they were not crazy.

The darkness in his voice gave Kaydynce goose-bumps up her arms beneath her school robes and she shivered reflexively.

"How could I forget?" she said quietly, staring at Fred beneath her thick eyelashes.

"And Lockhart," said George less seriously.

"'Course, he was nutty before he stepped foot in Hogwarts, if you ask me," Fred said with a straight white grin.

George laughed loudly, but Kaydynce could not remove the frown from her full lips. She stared past Fred, watching Remus Lupin closely. Her thin eyebrows knitted together in worry, beginning to believe her friends' tales of 'teachers gone mad.'

"You alright, Kaydy?" George asked staring at her across the table.

She glanced quickly at George before staring down into her lap, twisting her silver ring around her finger anxiously. Fred looked down at her, feeling the fear that radiated from her unto him. He wrapped his long arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Lupin's going to be fine, Kay," he said in a low soothing voice.

Kaydynce stared up into his promising eyes and nodded her head, trusting in his words. Fred removed his arm from her shoulders and Kaydy looked down at the polished wood of the dining table, absentmindedly listening to Hermione whisper at her immediate right.

"Potter!" Draco called from the next table.

Kaydynce looked up at Draco as he stared intently at the back of Harry's head, waiting for him to turn around. Seated beside George, Harry twisted to face Draco's taunting eyes.

"Is it true you fainted?" he asked with a mocking smile. "I mean, you actually fainted?"

Marcus Flint, the 5th year Slytherin Quidditch captain, roared with laughter by Draco's side. Kaydy glared at the two boys and shook her head at their immaturity. Fred and George followed her violent stare and their eyes narrowed into hazel slits as they watched Draco dramatically pretend to faint with terror while Ron forced Harry to turn around.

"That little git," George said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky when the Dementors were down our end of the train."

"Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Kay?" Fred glanced down at her with a smirk on his face.  
"Nearly wet himself," said Kaydynce, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.

His icy blue eyes met Kaydy's and she shook her head disapprovingly. Draco hung his head and turned around on his bench to face the other Slytherins.  
"I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors…"  
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred, shuddering slightly at the memory.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.  
"Forget it, Harry," said Kaydy bracingly.

"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been. He came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there," George said quietly.

And Dumbledore finished up his speech, clapping his hands as food appeared on the tables out of thin air.

"Why do you associate with him, again?" Fred whispered in Kaydy's ear.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the jab at Malfoy, and wordlessly began piling food onto her plate eating in silence.

Once students were dismissed from dinner, Fred, George, and Kaydynce climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, falling behind the rest of their Housemates. Percy Weasley, Gryffindor's head boy, led the Gryffindors to their common room, telling each of them the password that they would need to provide upon entering.

"The password for this semester is Flitterbloom," Percy said standing before the portrait of the Fat Lady."You must, simply, say the word, and she will reveal the entrance."

He demonstrated by saying, "Flitterbloom," loudly so that everybody could hear him clearly.

The portrait swung open, exposing a round opening in the stone wall. Percy, then, led the students through it and they all trailed after him through the dark tunnel until they stepped into the warm common room decorated with gold and scarlet hangings and couches.

"The boys' dormitories are up the stairs and to the right, girls' to the left," Percy said before retreating to the boys' stairs, most likely to claim his own bed.

Kaydy grinned as she scoped the familiar common room, finally feeling at home again. She made her way to the staircase, attempting to get upstairs to the fourth years' dormitories, only to be trampled by other enthusiastic girls. Fred and George snickered at her, watching her get pushed aside easily by girls twice her size, and they plopped down on one of the crimson couches in front of the blazing fire.

"Aren't you two going to go claim your beds?" she asked, blushing with slight embarrassment.

"Lee will save our beds," they both said, smugly.

Kaydy shook her head at them and ran her fingers through her long brown hair.

"Well I have no girl friends, so I'm going to go and grab a bed," she said with a light laugh, jogging up the steps to the dormitories.

And when she thrust the dormitory door open, the giddy girls inside silenced their giggles and eyed Kaydy skeptically. She stared at her feet and picked up her trunk from the middle of the room and struggled to drag it to the only vacant bed in the corner closest to the entrance. The other fourteen year olds watched her closely, as though they were waiting for her to do some kind of trick.

Kaydynce tried to ignore the stares that burned holes in her back, and she awkwardly tossed the suitcase onto her bed with a thump. As she lifted the lid, she heard the springs squeak from the bed beside her own. A thin girl with platinum blonde hair and stunning, wide blue eyes lounged across the bed beside Kaydy's and watched her unpack in wonder.

Kaydynce turned her back to her roommates, avoiding eye contact with the gaping girls, and sat down on her bed, pulling her clothes out of her trunk. By the time she was nearly finished unpacking, most of the girls had left the dormitory, and Kaydynce slid her empty suitcase beneath her four-poster bed. She decided it would be a good idea to shower before the girls came back, so she grabbed her toiletries and headed to the showers.

Twenty minutes passed, and Kaydynce stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped tight around her body, and she dried her hair with a flick of her wrist. She proceeded to put on her fresh undergarments and then, she carefully stepped into a stolen black pair of Fred's sweatpants. She tugged a tight black tank top over her straight brown hair and exited the lavatory quietly.

"Ginger, get down from there!" Kaydy growled, watching her kitten lie down on the blonde girl's bed.

"Oh, I don't mind."

Kaydy jumped slightly; she thought she was alone in the silent dorm. She turned around quickly, meeting the piercing blue eyes that belonged to only one girl. She had tied her long blonde hair into a loose ponytail, and changed out of her school robes, into tiny black shorts and a black sweatshirt.

"You're not British," Kaydy said, stupidly.

The girl chuckled lightly and walked past Kaydy, stroking the orange kitten with light fingertips.

"Nothing gets past you," she teased, smiling a straight, white smile. "I'm American, actually. My name's Haley Scott."

"Kaydy Lupin," Kaydynce said, shaking her hand delicately.

"Oh, are you the professor's daughter?" Haley asked, kinking her eyebrows.

"Adopted daughter, yes," Kaydy corrected.

She watched the girl closely while she stroked Ginger lovingly.

"You're new here, then?" Kaydy asked, sliding her socked feet into black moccasins.

Haley nodded, her bangs falling into her eyes.

"I'm almost positive I'll be lost tomorrow, considering the people here haven't been very welcoming, to say the least," she said, unable to keep the slight anger from her sweet voice.

Kaydynce laughed and said, "Get used to it. This is my fourth year here, and, as I'm sure you've noticed, all the girls still hate me."

Laughing lightly, Haley said, "Oh, I noticed. Why is that?"

"I think it's because I'm good friends with a lot of the guys here at Hogwarts. They're intimidated by that and want to be close to them like I am. But, the thing is, I'm just 'one of the guys.' None of them see me how the girls think they do," Kaydy explained watching Haley nod her head understandingly. "And it also may have something to do with the fact that I play a rather significant role in the Troublesome Trio."

"The what, now?" Haley asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"The Troublesome Trio," Kaydy repeated. "My two best friends and I have a knack for causing mayhem and pulling pranks on people. Some people don't find us very funny, but we sure as hell do." Haley laughed loudly, her blue eyes sparkling with delight, and Kaydy could tell that Haley was a prankster herself.

"I'm going downstairs to catch up with them, now, actually," Kaydy said, inching towards the door. "Would you like to come and meet them?"

Haley smiled gratefully at Kaydynce.

"I'm just gonna shower and go to bed before _they_ come back. But thanks for inviting me, Kaydy. I really appreciate it," Haley said, picking up her towels from her bed.

"No problem," Kaydy smiled. "I'll introduce you to them tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

Haley waved to Kaydy before shutting the bathroom door behind her, clicking the lock shut securely.

Alone, Kaydy walked silently down the girls' stairs into the nearly empty common room, refusing to come in contact with the other girls from her dorm. She smirked deviously, perceiving Fred sprawled across the crimson couch, his eyes shut and his chest rising and falling slowly with every, deep breath he took. Kaydynce tiptoed closer to her sleeping friend, devising a cruel plan to wake him from his serene slumber. And as she grew nearer, she held her breath, determined not to make a sound. She crept closer to him like a lioness stalking her quarry in the darkness of night.

"Took you long enough," Fred spoke, his eyes remaining closed.

Kaydy's feet rooted to the floor and she stared down at him, surprised and moderately disappointed. She sat down on the coffee table, crossing her legs and locking her arms over her chest, pouting childishly. Fred opened his hazel eyes and looked at her, a low chuckle slipping between his lips.

"You weren't trying to scare me now, were you, love?" he asked sitting upright.

"How did you know I was there?" she whined. Fred chuckled and waved a piece of parchment, yellow with age, in front of her face. Realization flooded her eyes and her jaw dropped open slightly.

"You were spying on me!" she exclaimed.

"Not spying," Fred argued. "Watching."

"You, my friend, are the biggest creep I know," she laughed smacking his arm.

"Now, you know that's a lie," Fred said smirking, a devilish glint in his eyes. "You have met Marcus Flint, haven't you?"

Kaydy shuddered dramatically.

"I rest my case," he said triumphantly. She rolled her eyes at him and stood from the coffee table.

"Give it to me," she said stretching out her arm.

"Never," he said defiantly. He sat up on the couch and stared up at the young girl.

"Fred Weasley, give me that map right now!" she shouted trying her hardest not to laugh.

Fred shook his head and held the Marauder's Map tight in his hands. Kaydynce growled quietly and attempted to snatch the parchment from Fred's fist, but he reacted too quickly.

"Come on, you can do better than that, Kay," he teased as she tried, and failed, again.

She glared down at him and reached for the map, which he was holding behind his head.

"Fred," she cried, bracing herself against his shoulder with one hand while the other reached for the map. "Just give me the bloody map!"

"No can do, love," he said grinning wildly.

"That's it," she muttered before climbing on top of him, straddling his hips.

Fred laughed and held her steady by the waist with his vacant hand. She extended her arm as far as her joints would allow, and as her fingers brushed against the rough parchment, it disappeared with a soft _pop_, leaving behind small rings of white smoke.

"How'd you do that?" she asked staring down at Fred in wonder.

He shrugged his shoulders with a smug grin on his face. He ran his fingers through his long hair and stared into her eyes, watching the golden flames of the fire dance in the warm, chocolate pools. As he tousled his ginger hair, the sweet smell of brown sugar flooded Kaydy's nostrils and she held her breath, allowing the scent to hover in her lungs for a few moments. Memories came rushing back to her and she hopped off his lap in one swift movement. The two held their stare, each trying to see through the others' eyes, wondering what they were holding back.

"Kaydy?" a soft voice called down the girls' stairs.

She whipped her head around to face the stairway as Haley descended down the stone steps. Her long blonde hair had dried into perfect platinum spirals, and they floated behind her as she swept down the stairs like an angel in the moonlight.

"Oh, sorry," she said blushing pink. "Am I interrupting something?" Kaydy's tan cheeks burned and she stared at the sliver of tiny cushion that remained visible between herself and Fred. She scooted away from him clumsily and twisted her ring around her little finger.

"Not at all," Kaydy said glancing at Fred from the corner of her eye. He smiled politely at Haley and knotted his fingers behind his head. His face remained calm and casual, as though their 'moment' was nothing out of the ordinary.

"You sure? I can just leave you two alone," Haley said biting back a smirk.

"This is Fred Weasley," Kaydy said changing the subject. "He's one third of the Troublesome Trio." Haley smiled and blushed as Fred winked at her. Kaydynce glared at him for a moment before replacing the daggers with a forced smile.

"Fred, this is Haley," she said nodding to the beautiful blonde. "She's new here, and I've offered to take her under my wing."

"Ah, I see," Fred smirked. "Wait 'til my brother meets you; he's going to stutter like a blubbering fool." Haley laughed softly and shook her head.

"Leave Georgie alone, Fred," Kaydy grinned, thrilled that Fred was not interested in Haley, after all.

"He'll fall in love with you by Christmas," Fred continued.

"What makes you say that?" Haley asked leaning against the marble mantel of the fireplace.

"I know George better than I know myself," he said watching Kaydy nod in agreement.

"Fred and George are twins," Kaydy explained when Haley looked puzzled.

"Oh, now that makes sense," Haley said with a laugh.

"Where is your unruly brother, by the way?" Kaydy asked, not realizing until now how odd it was for Fred to be without George.

"Bed, I think," Fred said shrugging his shoulders and stifling a yawn.

"Bed sounds so good right now," Kaydy said rubbing her eyes groggily. "But what did you come down here for, Haley?"

"Oh, I just didn't want to be up there with them," Haley said, venom dripping in her sweet voice. "I swear, I'm going to kill someone soon; I'm not going to live here for the next 3 years of my life feeling them glaring holes into my back. There will be hell to pay."

"Nice," Fred said smiling brightly. "I like her," he added turning to Kaydy, who grinned back at him.

"I do too. Don't worry, Haley, they'll never know what hit them once the two of us join forces," Kaydy laughed evilly, and Haley chuckled.

"We're going to bed," Kaydy said smacking Fred's leg casually as she passed him. "Night, Fred."

"See you, Fred," Haley smiled linking her arm in Kaydy's.

"Goodnight, ladies," Fred said watching the two girls head upstairs, one floating as if on a cloud, and the other tripping over the second step.


	3. Chapter 3

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Three**

"Coming to dinner, Kaydy?" Haley asked straightening the tie around her neck.

"Of course," she replied tying her long hair into a loose ponytail. "I never miss a meal, Hales."

"That's right. I should know that by now," Haley said with a soft laugh.

"Honestly, I thought after being my friend for close to three months you would have picked up on that," Kaydy teased as they exited their dormitory together.

"It's about time you two," the twins said in unison as the girls reached the common room.

"Nobody told you to wait for us," Haley said flipping her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder.

"We've been meeting for dinner since school started," George said linking his arm with Haley's.

"Yeah, going without you would just feel wrong, now," Fred said with a heart-stopping smirk.

"Right you are, Fred," George said leading Haley towards the portrait hole.

"May I have the honor of escorting such a lovely young lady to dinner?" Fred asked holding out his hand and bowing slightly.

Kaydy laughed and laid her tiny hand inside of his.

"Why of course, kind sir," she joked.

Neither of them released their grips until arriving at the Gryffindor table, each earning suspicious stares as they sat down beside each other.

"What's going on with you two?" the youngest Weasley asked excitedly as she sat down across from Kaydy.

"What ever do you mean, baby sister?" Fred asked casually piling food on to his platter while Kaydy did the same.

"Were you or were you not just holding hands?" Ginny whispered across the table, her bright grin dissolving.

"I don't recall holding hands," Kaydy said glancing at Fred. "Do you, Freddy?"

"Us? Holding hands? Never," he replied winking at her subtly.

Ginny rolled her eyes and continued eating her dinner quietly.

"Where's Lupin, Kaydy?" Haley asked, and Kaydy turned her head to survey the staff table.

Low and behold, Remus was not sitting in his usual seat beside Professor Flitwick.

"That's odd," Kaydy said quietly.

As the realization hit her, she dropped her fork against her full plate with a clank.

"I'm going to go check his office. He shouldn't miss supper."

"We'll come with you," Fred said preparing to stand up as Kaydy had.

"No!" she shouted accidentally. "No, I'll be alright."

He sat back down, but kept a watchful eye on her as she left the hall.

Kaydynce rushed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and walked in without knocking on the office door.

"Blimey, Kaydynce, you gave me quite a start," Remus said holding his large bony hand over his heart, staring at the young girl as she burst through his door.

"Why aren't you at dinner?" she demanded staring up at him sternly.

"I'm not feeling up to it," he said calmly. "Darling, don't worry," he said as Kaydy hurried to pull a small vile from the deep pocket of her school robes.

"You haven't taken your potion, Remus," she stated popping the cork out of the tiny glass bottle. "It's not going to work so well since it hasn't had a chance to settle inside your body."

"Right you are, but it's better than no potion at all," he said taking the bottle from her and gulping the foul, green liquid.

"It's a bit ripe," he said tossing the empty vile in the top drawer of his desk.

"It usually is," she said not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"Why are you so upset, Kaydynce?" Remus asked leaning on the end of his desk.

"I got worried, Remus. You know how I get around these times," she said exasperated.

"Which is exactly why I wish you would let me handle things on my own," Remus said as nicely as he could.

"Because you've done a marvelous job of that lately," Kaydy snapped.

Remus glared at his loafers shamefully.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't mean that," she apologized quickly.

"No, no, you're right," he said. "I have been rather irresponsible, haven't I?"

The bitterness in his tone did not go unnoticed.

"I just meant that…" Kaydy paused trying to find the correct words to use this time. "I worked really hard to brew this potion, Remus. The precautions we must take are even greater now that we're at school; it isn't just me and you in danger here."

"I know that, thank you," he said curtly.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," she apologized again, but Remus waved his hand.

"You are absolutely right, though, darling," he said patting her hair lovingly. "Go on up to your common room, Kaydy."

She nodded and walked away from him.

"And stay there, Kaydynce!" he called after her.

She shook her head to herself and frowned a little bit. She would not be staying in the Gryffindor tower tonight.

"Fred, will you calm down, please," Haley demanded through her teeth, and Kaydy listened to her voice travel down the dark tunnel between the common room and the school corridors.

"Calm down? Nobody's seen her for an hour and you want me to calm down?" Fred shouted.

Kaydy kinked her eyebrows and continued to walk towards the common room.

"Reckon we should pull out the map, mate?" George's deep voice asked quietly.

"The what?" Haley asked in confusion.

"Maybe we should," Fred replied ignoring Haley.

"What map? OH! There she is!" Haley shrieked as the beautiful brunette bounced into the golden light of the Gryffindor common room.

The twins nearly snapped their necks turning to meet Kaydy's confused stare.

"Where have you been?" Fred shrieked.

"Calm down, Fred, you're beginning to sound an awful lot like Molly," Kaydy teased.

Fred stared at her astounded, his anger slowly draining from his face, and poked her stomach playfully, earning a loud giggle.

"Really though, Kaydy," Haley said seriously, "where were you?"

"I just went to find Remus, like I told you," she said honestly. "He didn't feel up to dinner. He's a bit worn out, you see; apparently his third years are giving him a bit of trouble."

Fred and George eyed her suspiciously, but Haley shrugged believing every word. She avoided their curious gazes, knowing that after nine years of friendship, the twins would be able to tell that she was lying.

"Come on, Kaydy, I need help with my Potions," Haley said tugging Kaydy towards the stairs.

"Now, what is the proper way to ask for my help, Hales?" Kaydy asked.

"Uhm…please help me?" Haley asked uncertainly.

"No. Boys," Kaydy called to the twins as they sat down heavily on the scarlet couch in front of the fire. They stared up at her, listening intently. "Perhaps you could teach Haley, here, how to ask for my help with her Potions work."

"Oh, allow me, I think I've perfected it by now," Fred said sauntering over to the girls.

He cleared his throat and dramatically dropped to his knees in front of Kaydy grasping her dainty hands.

"Kaydy, my darling," he began, "would you please help me with my Potions assignment since you are, after all, the Almighty Potions Master?" Kaydy grinned down at him and flipped her hair arrogantly over her shoulder.

"That's how it's done," Fred triumphantly said returning to his seat beside his twin.

"Yeah, I have a little bit more dignity than that, so, help me now, or I'll curse you later," Haley said with a sweet smile.

"You should've been in Slytherin!" Kaydy shouted while Haley dragged her up to their bedroom.

After spending an hour doing Haley's Potions assignment for her, Kaydy stepped into George's gray sweatpants and a tight gray t-shirt and let her hair fall in gentle waves down her back.

"Are you coming downstairs?" she asked Haley once she exited the bathroom.

"No, that Potions work really wore me out," she said through a long yawn.

Kaydy shook her head as she slipped a heavy white sweatshirt over her arms and pulled her converse on before heading back to the common room.

"Hello, love," Fred said watching Kaydy walk down the stairs slowly.

She smiled at him and sat down beside him.

"What are you up to?" she asked as he scribbled quickly across a sheet of parchment.

"Just thinking of some new joke ideas to run by George and Lee," he said dipping his quill into the ink.

"Can I help?" she asked excited to take part in the twins' insane antics.

"I don't know," he said as though he were thinking deeply about it. "You _did_ call me my mother earlier."

"Oh I'm terribly sorry you found my statement insulting, Freddy," she said leaning her head on his shoulder to read his writing better.

She inhaled his warm scent and allowed the aroma to cloud her brain for a moment. As she tried to force her eyes to focus, she caught a glimpse of something incredible on the coffee table in front of her.

"What do you have the map lying around for?!" she cried scooping the Marauder's Map into her lap, glancing around the common room to make sure nobody had seen it.

"Relax, nobody's down here, love," Fred said taking it from her fists. "I'm using it."

"For what?" she asked perplexed.

"I have to research where my next victim will be at this time tomorrow night," he whispered staring at the map for a moment. "He's been going to the fifth floor lavatory every night for the past four days." Kaydy nodded and smiled at Fred's commitment to his devious work.

"If only you put this much effort into your school work," Kaydy teased watching her friend's hazel eyes twinkle mischievously.

"Hey," Fred said, scrutinizing the map. "What's Lupin going into the Forbidden Forest for?" he asked as the little flag that read, "Remus Lupin," disappeared from the yellow map.

Kaydy's eyes widened and then darted to the nearest window, catching the brilliant, white light of the full moon hanging in the night sky. The time had flown right by her and she had nearly forgotten where she needed to be.

"Put it away," she demanded.

Fred looked down at her in confusion, shaking his head slightly.

"Please, Fred," she pleaded. "Turn it off!"

"Mischief managed," he muttered.

And the second the words left his lips, the words melted away, slowly fading back into the page they came from.

"What's the matter, Kay?" he asked in concern.

"Nothing," she lied quickly. "I have to go."

She jumped up from the couch abruptly, pressing her wand against her thigh from inside her pocket. Fred watched her, utterly befuddled. He called after her, but Kaydy ignored him, sprinting through the porthole, her sneakers slapping the stones as she propelled forward.

The cold, early-winter, night air stung her cheeks once she made it outside of the castle. The Forbidden Forest was about a mile west: she would never make it there in time. Unwilling to accept defeat, Kaydynce forced herself to morph into her animagus form, right then and there. Thin blades of green grass bent beneath her massive, black paws, and her thick, gray fur blew in the gentle breeze.

And Kaydynce took off, headed straight into the forest in a matter of minutes. It didn't take long to find Remus, even in the black forest. Many creatures wandered these woods, but even so, only one werewolf walked the forest floor. Kaydynce crouched behind a tall bush, watching Remus beneath the pale light of the full moon that seeped between the thick cover of leaves above them. For a moment, their eyes locked between the thin branches.

Her muscles tensed up instantly, and her heart thudded against her ribcage. Kaydynce watched Remus stalk her from the moonlit clearing, waiting for her to charge him. But when she made no efforts to attack, he took the liberty upon himself and launched towards the brush, razor sharp claws shredding through the foliage. Kaydynce jumped back cautiously, avoiding the massive roots of the enchanted trees. She hastily ducked behind the trunk of one of the countless trees in the forest. She knew what must be done, but she had not had the chance to prepare herself for the task at hand. So her state of mind: whatever happens, happens.

She poked her snout around the damp bark, trying to catch a hint of Remus's scent in the night air. She knew that he was close. Just on the opposite side of the thick tree trunk, actually. And with impeccable speed, she dashed from her hideout, sprinting past the gray werewolf. Emerald eyes that did not belong to Remus glared at her, and he too, ran full speed, chasing her further into the forest. Kaydy's chest tightened with each breath she took, but she knew that she could not stop running; if Remus caught her, she would undoubtedly be bitten, if not killed on the spot. She weaved meticulously through the flora, praying that she would not stumble over the weeds. The second her paws sunk into the moss floor of a meadow, she faltered. And his claws sliced through the thick fur of her back, straight through to the delicate flesh.

She yelped in pain and tumbled across the cool ground, whimpering weakly. She was thankful, as she usually is, to be in her animagus form, otherwise his claws would have infected her easily. She watched him lunge towards her again, deflecting the fatal blow just in time. Had she not thrust her legs into the air, her throat surely would have been ripped open by his sharp teeth. Remus soared across the meadow, colliding violently with a Dogwood branch in the distance. He stayed put for a moment, scrutinizing his competition, drinking in the image of the enormous, dark-colored wolf, lying on the ground in a heap of exhaustion. She stared back at him, cringing as he tossed his furry head back in fury, allowing a shrill howl to erupt from his long snout. She pushed herself to her feet and awaited the attack, positioning herself for the upcoming bloodbath. He too, crouched low to the ground, preparing for a vicious battle.

The two circled the meadow with a decent distance between them, spinning in a dizzying war dance. But when Remus crossed the circle with inconceivable swiftness, Kaydy was caught off guard, and his nails dug deeply engraved cuts into her side, across her ribcage. She reacted almost instantly, dragging her own claws against his wide chest, watching thin lines of red drip down the gray fur. He snarled and snapped at her, trying his hardest to bite any part of her that he could, and Kaydynce was barely able to dodge his teeth. And with hatred in his eyes, Remus ripped through the skin below her right eye. Kaydy let out a shrill bark as she felt the hot liquid pour down her face, matting itself into her fur as it had across her underbelly. But she couldn't back down, now. When she had finally pushed the werewolf away from her, she took off deeper into the blackened woods. This is what she needed to do: she had to get Remus as far away from the castle as possible until he was in his right state of mind. He chased after her with vengeance, unwilling to let her walk away from their battle. And when she collapsed on the cold ground, exhausted and unable to push forth, Remus stopped running after her, skidding to a halt in the brush.

He stared at her from a few yards away, watching her chest rise and fall rapidly. She knew that this was the end, he would not allow her to live, and even if he did, she would not have the strength to keep fighting him off. In her head, Kaydy began saying her goodbyes. Goodbye to Remus and Harry, Molly and Arthur, Ginny and Draco, Hermione and Ron, Haley and Lee, Fred and George. For a brief moment, the two wolves locked eyes. And in that moment, Kaydynce could swear that it was Remus staring back at her, not a rabid werewolf.

She watched him for a moment longer, before he bolted past her deeper into the forest, running as far away from the beaten and bloodied wolf as possible. She tried her hardest to steady her breathing, struggling to rise up on her wobbly feet. Slowly, she forced her way out of the forest.

Once she stepped out of the trees, she morphed back into her human form and limped to the castle, willing herself not to pass out until she was, at least, back to the common room. By the time she finished the mile long hike, the moon had faded, replaced by a dull blue sky, scattered with sparkling white dots; the last remaining stars of the night. Kaydynce sighed in fatigue, and strained to walk up the seven flights of stairs to the Gryffindor tower.

The warmth of the common room brought goose-bumps to her frosty skin, and she shuddered as the cold ran up her spine. She lurked in the shadows of the porthole, groggily scanning the common room, hoping that she would be able to slip inside unnoticed. She stared in surprise, at the orange spot on the couch that caught her eye instantaneously. She walked silently to the boy, sleeping soundly in front of the calm fireplace, only glowing orange embers remaining in the grate.

Kaydynce had never known Fred Weasley to look childlike, let alone innocent. But in his peaceful slumber, the devious smirk was no longer present on his lips, and the mischievous glint in his eyes was concealed by heavy eyelids. She combed her fingers gently through his fiery red hair, pushing the thick locks away from his pale face, trailing her fingers lightly down his smooth, freckled cheek. And as his tired eyes fluttered open, she took her hand back hastily, returning it to her sore, bleeding side, silently hoping that he would not be able to see the darkened spots on the blood-soaked t-shirt she wore in the dim common room.

"Why are you still down here?" she whispered, forcing her hair to fall to conceal her scarred face.

"I was waiting for you to come back," he said as he sat up hastily, the roughness of his voice confirmed his tiredness.

And Kaydy glanced down at his chest, seeing the parchment draped tightly between his body and his arms, wand in hand. She would not look into his bloodshot eyes as he rubbed the sleepiness from them. Instead, she stared at her feet shamefully, biting her lip in embarrassment as she backed away slowly.

"You didn't have to do that, Fred," she mumbled.

"You didn't honestly think I was going to go to bed while you were in the Forbidden Forest, did you?" he asked, rubbing his eyes free of sleep. "You know I can't see within the Forest."

"Well, I'm back," she stated. "Go upstairs to bed."

She turned away from him and stepped slowly up the first few stairs, trying to hide her limp, before Fred wrapped his long fingers around her wrist, forcing her to come to a stop. She did not turn around, and she prayed that the blood from her back and side were invisible to Fred in her current position. She knew what he wanted, but she simply could not give it to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fred," she whispered.

And he dropped her wrist, allowing her to drag herself upstairs and into her bed for a few hours of restless sleep, before she would be forced to endure the day of classes.

The following morning, Kaydynce made certain that she was the last to wake in her dorm. She remained hidden in the confines of her four poster bed, drapes wrapped around the mattress. She did not want to face the questioning stares of her roommates as they observed the damage upon her once flawless face. She crept into the lavatory quietly once the other girls had gone to breakfast, and stepped under the warm water of the shower. She winced as the water stung her fresh wounds, but they desperately needed to be cleaned. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in agony, until she could not endure anymore and a low groan rumbled behind her teeth. She stepped out of the stall feeling lightheaded and let her hair dry into its natural loose curls. Kaydy carefully dressed herself in her school uniform, cursing the designer of the dreadfully heavy robes. Standing in front of the mirror, she did her best to hide the cuts and bruises with makeup, but not even a heavy coating of cover-up, foundation, and bronzer could hide the violent gash beneath her right eye.

The brilliant red slits stretched from the bridge of her nose, across the tan skin of her cheek, swooping upwards to meet her ear in three jagged, puffy lines. It was evident that she had been damaged, there was no denying that. How could Kaydynce convince the entire student body, as well as the authorities at Hogwarts, that she had acquired these abrasions by no fault but her own?

"Kaydy," Haley called from the bedroom. "You're going to miss breakfast."

"You guys can go ahead without me. I'll meet you downstairs," Kaydy called back, running her nails nervously through her thick hair.

With a final, deep breath, Kaydy walked insecurely downstairs to the common room. Most of the Gryffindors had already gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast, and Kaydynce limped down the last set of stairs. She looked up slowly, watching Haley laugh loudly beside George as they exited the common room together. Kaydy's thoughts were occupied with finding a believable lie to tell her friends, and she was only brought back to reality when warm fingers wrapped gingerly around her wrist. Although she was surprised at the sudden physical contact, she dared not look up into the hazel eyes she knew she would find.

"Come with me," Fred said, not giving Kaydy the opportunity to object as he gently pulled her up the boys' stairs.

As Fred led her into the dorm room he shared with his twin and Lee Jordan, Kaydy walked ahead of him and lifted her gaze slightly to survey the bedroom. Faded scarlet walls, dressed with posters of quidditch pro's and team banners, needed a good washing and maybe a new paintjob. All three beds in the room were unmade, sheets draped half off the bed, grazing the wood floor. On the right side of each bed, nailed to the wall, hung identical calendars of beautiful witches dressed in skimpy versions of quidditch robes. Kaydy's cheeks burned as she stared at the nearly naked women on the wall as they danced around and struck sexy poses, wondering why they were hung up on display. She wondered whether Fred enjoys looking at the women, and if so, why? She wondered if he found them attractive. She shamefully wondered if he'd ever find her as appealing as them, or at least close.

"Start of school tradition," Fred's voice pulled Kaydy from her thoughts, and she bowed her head to the floor once more. "Every year, the three of us exchange naughty calendars before school. Sort of a joke to get us through our time here. We all picked the same one this year."

Kaydy simply nodded her head, her long hair falling in front of her face. The truth is, as much as the pictures would normally bother her, she was much too preoccupied with the reason Fred brought her up here in the first place. He wanted answers, and he deserved them, but Kaydy wasn't sure how she could tell Fred and protect Remus at the same time.

Without another word, Fred stood in front of her and tilted her chin up with his index finger. As her hair fell away from her face, his eyes doubled in size and he took a sharp breath. He parted his lips to speak, but upon noticing the tears rimming Kaydy's brown eyes, Fred closed his lips and wrapped his arms over her shoulders, cradling her head against his chest.

Conflict whirled through Kaydy's mind, trapping her in their vicious waves of do's and don'ts. If she tells Fred the truth, Remus will be in danger. Remus's condition is not Kaydy's secret to reveal. Doing so would not only put Remus in danger of losing his job and having to go into hiding, but it will also betray the trust he instilled in her. But lying to Fred seems completely impossible. Fred has been her best friend since they were little kids, she couldn't possibly lie to him.

Then again, hasn't she been lying to him all this time? Every time he had asked where she went off to late at night; why she'd sleep all day long the following morning; where the several blue bruises on her arms came from. Every response she had ever given him had been a lie. Maybe it's finally time to tell Fred the truth.

"Fred," Kaydy began, her voice shaking, "I have something I need to tell you."

"You don't say," he said sarcastically.

Kaydy ignored his sarcasm and looked past him at the bed nearest to them. On the left side of the four poster bed, stood a night table with several papers and trinkets cluttering the surface. The only segment of the night table that was remotely tidy was a small section beside a lamp.

Illuminated by the lamp's golden glow was a picture frame, holding a photograph of a thirteen year old Fred. His ginger hair was disheveled and his bright hazel eyes sparkled as he glanced down at the small girl tucked under his arm. A twelve year old Kaydynce ran her fingers through her waist-length chestnut waves as a soft summer breeze pushed them back into her dazzling eyes. As the Fred in the photo pressed his lips to her forehead, the girl in the frame blushed violently and grinned brighter than the sun. And the scene replayed from the beginning.

Kaydynce blushed in the dorm room and pulled Fred by his fingers towards the bed she could safely assume was his.

"You really need to hear this," she said sitting him down beside her.

Fred's eyes reflected the concern he had been feeling since the night before and he watched her intently, awaiting her words.

"You cannot repeat a word of this to anyone," she said seriously. "Not even George."

Fred nodded slowly, reluctant to keep his brother in the dark.

"I've been lying to you for quite some time now," Kaydy began, watching Fred as a look of affront flooded his face. "The thing is, I couldn't tell you the truth because someone I care about would be in serious danger if this secret was ever discovered."

"Is this about Malfoy, Kaydynce?" Fred growled.

"Malfoy? What? No! Frederick, will you please just listen to me?" Kaydy cried exasperatedly.

Fred pursed his lips together and allowed Kaydy to speak, though his jealousy had not completely left his veins.

"Someone I love very much did this to me," Kaydy breathed. "It's out of his control, and he doesn't even remember he's done it most of the time. I've been dealing with this since I was five years old, just before I met you."

"Who?" Fred asked through his teeth.

"Fred, you can't do anything, or hate him if I tell you," Kaydy pleaded.

"Who's been hurting you, Kaydynce?" he demanded.

"Remus," she whispered. "Wait!"

Fred leapt to his feet in a huff. Kaydynce jumped up to stop him, and clutched her aching side.

"Fred, don't. I'm not done talking," she begged sitting back down.

The vein in his forehead glowed purple against his crimson skin, but he sat down beside Kaydy, nonetheless. His raging eyes softened once he realized she was in pain.

"Remus…he's a werewolf, Fred. I found out when I was five years old, and have been following him every cycle since then. All those nights you wondered where I was sneaking out to, the mornings I'd sleep in until lunchtime, the bruises you'd find when we went swimming in the lake, it was all because I followed Remus when he'd change. Truthfully, I believe that's why he introduced me to your family in the first place. He wanted me to have a safe place to stay whenever he'd change. He didn't want me following him. But I did it anyway. So all the pain I've felt, all the lies I've told, the damaged girl you see now…is no one's fault but my own, and I take full responsibility for those decisions. So, if you're going to hate anyone, it should be me," Kaydy finished, nearly choking on her words as they tangled with her tears.

She continued to cry quietly, and Fred continued to watch without uttering a single word. Kaydy was dying to know what he was thinking.

_Would he forgive me for everything I've lied about? Or would he hate me forever? Would he keep Remus's secret? Or, in a desperate attempt to protect me, would he rat Remus out, taking away the only parent I have ever known?_ The thoughts spiraled through Kaydy's head.

Fred stared blankly ahead of him, his eyes drying out from not blinking frequently enough. There were so many thoughts soaring through his head, but he couldn't find the words he needed.

_How could she lie to me for the past nine years? How could she keep such a huge part of her life a secret? What else is she hiding from me? I thought we were best friends,_ Fred thought to himself while Kaydy sniffled beside him.

"Say something," she whispered anxiously.

Fred remained silent, subconsciously picking at the dead skin around his nail bed. Growing frustrated, Kaydy dried her cheeks, carefully dabbing at the burning flesh beneath her eye.

"Please, Fred. Say something," Kaydy begged.

"What do you expect me to say to you?" he asked dully. "You were supposed to be my best friend, and I'm realizing that's not how it ever was."

"I am your best friend," she said shamefully, feeling in her heart how tainted the words have become.

"Best friends don't keep secrets from each other, Kaydynce," he said loudly. "And they certainly don't lie to each other."

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Fred, but you must understand. Protecting Remus is my first priority. If word got out of what he is, he'd be taken into custody," Kaydy trailed off biting her lip gently. "He's the only family I've got, Fred."

"I didn't realize we weren't family," he muttered rising from the bed.

He strolled to the window beside his bed and leaned his back against the wall, locking his arms over his chest while he stared into the distance.

"You know that's not what I meant," Kaydy argued, rising to her feet as well.

The pair stood in silence for another ten minutes. Breakfast would be ending shortly, and it seemed that neither intended to eat this morning, and attending classes was still questionable. Fred's hazel eyes fell to his messy nightstand, the photograph from two summers ago caught his eye. As badly as he wanted to turn the frame facedown, to tell the girl to leave his sight, to erase any feelings he ever had for her, he knew he couldn't. They've come too far to say goodbye, now.

"I just need some time to come to terms with all of this," he said quietly.

With no choice but to accept his response, Kaydy nodded her head and headed towards the door.

"I'll see you later," Fred whispered almost inaudibly.

"Yeah," she whispered back as she shut the door behind her.

With no desire to eat or attend classes, Kaydynce trudged up the steps to her dormitory and nestled into her bed. Lying on her left side, in plain view was a photograph identical to the one that sits on Fred's own nightstand. Kaydy pulled the drapes around her bed and closed her eyes before more tears could fall from her swollen eyes, and quickly drifted to sleep.

"Kaydy?" a soft voice called from the opposite side of the curtain.

The brunette grumbled in response.

"I just wanted to let you know, I'm going to bed. Fred has dinner in the common room for you if you feel like eating," Haley whispered.

"Fred?" Kaydy asked becoming more alert at hearing his name.

"Yeah, I expect he feels dreadful for harming you with that prank," Haley said, and Kaydy could hear her climbing into her own bed. "He says you're pretty hurt. He's been walking around like a zombie all afternoon."

_Prank? He covered for me, _Kaydy realized. _He covered for Remus. And put the blame on himself._

She couldn't help herself from smiling at her friend's loyalty. However, her smile quickly faded, contorting into a fierce frown. Kaydy knew she didn't deserve his friendship, let alone his loyalty. As nervous as she was to face him, she knew that she had to. If Fred was ready to talk about this, she had to be, too. Carefully, she pushed herself out of bed and slipped her feet inside the black moccasins beneath her bed. As her feet hit the floor, her breathing quickened, anxiety creeping over her, weighing heavy on her chest.

But she forced herself to leave the girls' dorms and visit the common room. Reaching the landing, Kaydy paused, stuffing her hands inside the deep pockets of the crimson pajama pants she was wearing; Fred's pajama pants. She found him sitting on the largest of three couches surrounding the fireplace, the flames dancing in his lifeless eyes. The corners of his mouth pointed slightly downwards in a thoughtful frown. For a moment, Kaydy thought she was invisible.

"Come sit down," Fred's voice startled her, but she obeyed his wishes anyway.

She cautiously sat down on the cushion furthest to the left of him and twisted her fingers together. She refused to look at Fred although he had been staring attentively at her since her tiny feet hit the common room floor.

"Haley told me the story you told her and George," Kaydy said staring into her lap. "Thank you."

"You should have trusted me from the start," Fred said crossly.

"I know," Kaydy mumbled.

"I just don't understand why you never told me. I gave you plenty of chances to tell me. Every time I asked you where you went, you could have told me the truth," Fred said amicably. "Why didn't you?"

"I couldn't take the chance," Kaydy tried to explain. "Remus's condition is extremely taboo. You should understand that, your father working for the Ministry and all."

"I do understand that, but what I don't understand is how you don't trust us enough; how you don't trust _me,_" Fred cried out running his hand through his thick hair. "Nine years, Kaydynce. Nine years you and I have been best mates. Yet you've been lying to me and keeping secrets from me all this time. What else are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, I promise," Kaydy cried turning to face him on the couch.

"If I ask you questions, will you answer them?" he asked, and Kaydy instantly nodded.

"Honestly," he added pointedly.

Kaydy frowned at his lack of trust, but nodded all the same.

"Good. You can eat while we talk," he said pushing a full plate of food towards her across the coffee table.

Kaydy indulged in the delicious cuisine before her and glanced up at Fred, signaling him to begin speaking.

"Right, well," he said unsure of where to start. "When did you start following him?"

"When I found out what he was. I was five years old," Kaydy began her tale. "Remus had been urging me to get into bed for hours, and I had finally agreed to go up to bed. And then it happened. He went rigid and he began morphing into a whole new being, a creature I had never seen before. He screamed at me to run away, to stay in my room and not make a sound. I retreated, only to the staircase, and watched this doglike thing dart into the woods behind our home. I was terrified and crying hysterically, but something in my told me to chase him. I had to make sure Remus was alright. So, somehow, I took my animagus form and-"

"What? Animagus?" Fred shouted in shock.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that bit earlier," Kaydy smiled sheepishly. "It was an accident, really. Like I said, I knew I had to protect him, but the fear inside me told me I had to stay safe, as well. And I took the form of a giant wolf. I've been following him in that form ever since."

"You're an animagus," Fred said in awe. "Wicked. Can I see?"

"Maybe another time, Fred," she declined. "I'm still pretty sore."

"Right," he said masking his disappointment. "Is there more than just this here?"

Kaydy braced herself for the searing pain she anticipated feeling as Fred's finger reached to brush her cheek, but it didn't come. Instead, a warm tingling sensation flooded her cheek and goose-bumps rose across her entire body. She stared into his inviting eyes as his fingers seemed to touch past her skin, straight to her soul.

"Yes," she said pulling herself out of her clouded thoughts.

"Can I see that, then?" he asked worriedly.

Kaydy's eyes wandered around the common room, making sure they were alone before rising to her feet. She clutched the hem of her black t-shirt in her fingers and slowly lifted the shirt up her torso, careful not to brush the gashes with the fabric, and pulled it over her head. Her chocolate waves fell slightly tousled down her back, and she bundled the shirt inside her fist.

If it had not been for the ugly chisels left in her tanned skin, reminding him that she was severely injured, Fred most likely would have lost his senses and snogged his best mate right then and there. Although the thought crossed his mind for a moment or two, they were quickly replaced with concern as his eyes trailed the marks across her flesh. Kaydy turned around slowly, showing Fred the lacerations across her back. She heard him gasp and soon felt his warm breath kissing her exposed shoulder.

"Kay," he whispered, and again his fingertips traced the wounds, flooding her body with the familiar warmth and tingles.

She carefully turned to face him and his fingers found the cuts on her ribs. She watched his face closely and as his hands rested gently at her waist, his eyes filled with wonder. His curious eyes lazily wandered up her torso, lingering on her chest, before meeting her gaze once more. She laid her hand gingerly against his broad chest and allowed his familiar scent to cloud her mind.

Fred exhaled, in a sort of annoyance, and dropped his hands from her waist, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Kaydy stared at her feet and carefully replaced her shirt over her body and sat down in her respective spot on the couch. Fred sat down too, though this time, he found himself sitting a bit closer to her than before.

"So…" she said trying to diffuse the tension.

"So how do you forgive him for doing that to you?" Fred asked gesturing to her abdomen.

"He doesn't usually remember what happens when he's in that state," Kaydy defended. "I do an exceptional job of not letting him see any damage he's done unto me, so he believes I obey him and stay away from him during his change."

"How do you plan on covering this one up?" Fred asked out of pure curiosity.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Kaydy admitted. "I suppose makeup won't do it this time."

"It's not likely," he agreed sympathetically. "Maybe Haley can help."

"Then I'll have to tell her what's going on," Kaydy argued.

"Not necessarily. She already thinks I did it, so just go with that story," Fred said winking deviously.

"I suppose you're right. She'll only have to see my face," Kaydy said.

"Right you are, Kay," Fred said leaning back against the couch cushions.

"Fred," Kaydy said softly after a moment of silence slipped by, "is it really bad?"

"What?" he asked confused.

"My face? Is it ruined?" she asked sadly.

"It'll heal up in no time, Kay," he assured her lifting her chin to look into her eyes.

"But I'm hideous for the time being," she whispered trying to pull her face out of his hand.

"You're beautiful, love. Always," Fred promised pressing his warm lips to her forehead.

And Kaydy's cheeks burned the exact shade of red they had when Fred's lips first touched her skin two summers ago.


	4. Chapter 4

Only Joking

Chapter Four

Brilliant rays of sunlight streamed in through the pristine windowpanes early the following morning. Birds of all sorts chirped obnoxiously from the outside, reluctant to fly south for the approaching winter. Kaydy's tired eyes opened the slightest bit, just enough to follow the thin hands of her alarm clock. As the minute hand ticked once more, hovering over the twelve, shrill ringing sounded and Kaydy flipped the switch between the bells, silencing the noisy alarm. Seven o'clock: her day must begin.

Kaydy trudged to the washroom to shower as quickly as she could. Her wounds ached under the scalding water until Kaydy twisted the tap off with a loud screech. She dressed quickly, refraining from tightening her tie all the way to her throat. Her long hair dripped droplets of water down the back of her robes before she flicked her wand, drying the strands into loose chocolate ribbons of silk. She applied her usual makeup and exited the bathroom quietly.

She tiptoed to Haley's bedside, determined not to disturb their sleeping roommates, and shook her best friend awake. For a moment, Kaydy felt guilty for waking her best mate for her own selfish, superficial needs. But as Haley grumpily swatted her hands away, the guilt melted away.

"Get up, you daft bimbo," Kaydy growled shoving Haley.

"God, give a girl a break!" Haley grumbled, her blue eyes opening into narrow slits.

As she registered who was looking down at her, and the scars the girl wore on her beautiful face, Haley's eyes snapped open and her body propelled off the bed.

"Kaydy!" she cried throwing her arms tightly around the girl's body.

"Let go, let go!" Kaydy squealed, her body aching.

"Sorry! Are you alright?" Haley asked, concern flooding her baby blue eyes. "I'm going to murder Fred!"

"I'm fine," Kaydy forced a chuckle to slip between her perfectly straight teeth. "It was an accident."

"But…your face, Kaydy," Haley said in a pitying tone as she propped herself up on her slender forearms.

"I know," Kaydy looked down sadly. "That's why I wanted to wake you. Do you know a way to cover these up?"

Haley examined the damage for a moment before her eyes brightened, and Kaydy could almost see the light bulb switch on inside her friend's pretty little head. The blonde fumbled clumsily through her night table in search of her wand, pumping her fist through the air in victory as she wrapped her fingers around the stick.

"Hold still," she commanded and Kaydy obliged.

Without uttering a single word, Kaydy's face felt unbearably hot until a cool sensation overwhelmed her and the pain was gone. Kaydy glanced into the compact mirror Haley was holding out to her and, in shock, pressed her short fingers against her flawless cheek. She yelped in pain and swore beneath her breath at her own stupidity.

"Sorry. I don't know how to heal them, just cover them," Haley explained.

"That's fine," Kaydy smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem," Haley said swinging her long legs off her bed. "Let's go eat, I'm starved."

"Alright," Kaydy laughed as Haley scrambled to get ready.

Together, the girls descended down the stairs to the Great Hall. Although Kaydy's cuts were invisible, the whispers persisted. It seemed as though the whole school already knew about her accident, and she suddenly found herself extremely grateful that Fred took the blame and created a believable alibi for her. However, Kaydy could not shake the guilt weighing on her shoulders like fifty pound sandbags. Every student she had passed on the way to breakfast was muttering about the accident, cursing Fred for his foolishness and irresponsibility.

"Bloody prat, he is. How could he be selfish enough to put such a beautiful girl in harm's way like that?" a boy, Kaydy recognized as a third year Ravenclaw, said to his circle of friends standing just outside the Hall.

Kaydy bowed her head and frowned, ashamed that the student body was speaking so poorly of her best friend when he truly did nothing wrong.

"Ignore them, Kaydy," Haley encouraged as the pair sat down on opposite sides of the Gryffindor table.

A short time later, the twins bounded into the Great Hall together, headed cheerfully towards the two ladies. George sat down heavily beside Haley and wasted no time in piling endless amounts of food on his platter.

"Hungry?" Haley teased.

"Very," George grumbled through a mouthful of biscuit.

Fred took his designated seat on Kaydy's left and flashed a sleepy smile her way.

"How are you feeling, Kay?" he asked quietly as he dumped a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his dish.

"Okay," she replied shrugging, her eyes cast down at her unused plate.

"Eat," Fred ordered slapping a piece of overcooked toast and four strips of bacon down on the glistening porcelain.

Before she could protest and claim she wasn't very hungry, a low grumble erupted from the pit of her stomach. She smiled up at him sheepishly and clutched her fork inside her fist, digging in to the steaming pile of pale yellow eggs Fred had spooned onto her plate. Fred smiled down at her while he filled her golden goblet with cold juice.

"You best treat her like a queen after the pain you've caused her, Frederick," the youngest Weasley growled from across the table, narrowing her eyes at her older brother.

Fred frowned and glanced at Kaydy, but she refused to meet his eyes.

"I'll take better care of her from now on," he promised laying his thick fingers over Kaydy's tense forearm.

The brunette slightly smiled up at him before casting her gaze at her breakfast.

"Kaydy! You're alright," Harry said grinning happily as he plopped down on Haley's vacant side.

"I'm perfectly fine," she smiled despite the angry gashes screaming on her side.

"Now will you stop being my daft brothers' guinea pig and stay away from them like I've been telling you for years?" Ron asked jokingly, earning a thump on the back of his head from Hermione as they sat down on Kaydy's right.

"It wasn't his fault," Kaydy tried to defend Fred. "It was an accident."

"What happened, exactly?" Hermione asked before taking a graceful sip from her respective goblet.

The entire groups' eyes fell on Fred and Kaydy for an explanation. Kaydy felt tiny beads of sweat line her thin eyebrows as she, too, stared at Fred, a slightly frantic look in her dark eyes.

"I was testing out some of the products, that's all," Fred lied effortlessly. "Needless to say, the results were undesirable to say the least."

"Which products?" George asked honestly curious as to which of their pesky products was faulty. "Where could we have gone wrong?"

"I believe I just tested too many at once. I've made a note that the Screaming Yo-yo and the Fanged Frisbee are NOT friends, and should not be used by someone who consumed a Hiccough Sweet," Fred lied believably.

The table laughed loudly and continued eating their breakfast, having believed the lies Fred fed to them. Kaydy released a breath she had not realized she had been suppressing and slipped a strip of greasy bacon between her teeth, savoring its salty flavor as it soaked into her tongue.

"Tell me again why bacon isn't in its own glorious food group?" she asked leaning her temple against Fred's broad shoulder as the meat melted in her mouth.

"It's not fair to all of the other foods you claim to be 'glorious,' Kay," Fred smiled down at the brunette as she took another strip of bacon off her plate and chomped down on it hungrily.

"I swear, sometimes I think you're already a Weasley, the way you eat," Hermione smirked scrunching her nose in slight disgust.

"Already? What's that supposed to mean?" Kaydy asked chugging the sweet juice from her glass.

"Don't play stupid, Kaydynce," Haley smirked similarly to Hermione.

"We all know you'll marry one of these two buffoons, one day," Hermione grinned wickedly.

"Don't worry, Hales," Ron said watching Haley's face grow mildly upset, "My bet's on Fred."

"I second that," Harry piped in winking at Fred from across the large table.

Kaydy's cheeks stung in embarrassment as she picked her head off of Fred's shoulder abruptly.

"Look who's talking," Kaydy said calmly, a devious smirk rising on her own lips. "All of you will become Weasleys eventually."

"What are you on about?" George asked grinning broadly, loving the entertainment he was receiving this morning.

"Hermione will marry Ron. Harry will marry Ginny. And Haley will marry you," Kaydy counted off on her short fingers. "So shut it."

All at once, the table erupted into a loud chatter, everyone arguing their deemed spouse.

"Who said I'd say yes to marrying George?!"

"Who said I'd ASK you?!"

"I don't fancy Ginny."

"And why, bloody hell, not?"

"Honestly, what makes you think I'd ever marry this?" Hermione asked pointing at Ron while he stuffed his face in an animalistic fashion, grunting words of protest.

Tears streamed from Kaydy's gleeful eyes at the chaos she had caused. She ran her napkin beneath her eyes, drying the joyful tears without smudging her eyeliner as she stood from the table.

"I think I can safely say my job here is done. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast, you lot," Kaydy grinned brightly, winking at Fred who shook his head and clapped his thick hands at the fine mess she made.

Kaydy curtsied and waved goodbye to him before exiting the Great Hall, leaving the group to debate amongst themselves. Her backpack weighed heavy on her shoulders, and she found herself wincing every time the bag occasionally brushed the marks on her back. Alone, she made her way towards her first class, her worst class, the class she was forced to take with the year below her: Care of Magical Creatures. From the top of the hill, Hagrid's hut seemed dauntingly far away and the sharp pain in her side urged her to return to her dorm.

"Need a hand?"

Kaydy turned around quickly, her bag scraping against her open wounds, and she was barely able to suppress a scream.

"Draco, hi," she said airily.

"Give me that," he said coolly as he removed the heavy luggage from her back.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Are you alright?" he asked continuing towards the little shack. "I heard what that idiotic bloodtraitor did to you."

"Draco," she warned.

"Are you alright?" he repeated.

"Fine," she said ignoring the stitch rising in her abdomen. "Barely feel a thing."

"When are you going to realize you deserve better company than them?" he asked bitterly.

"Don't start, Draco," she urged quietly.

"I mean, honestly, what have they got to offer you that we don't?" he spat, not having heard her protest.

"Dray, please," she begged walking beside him down the grassy slope.

"What has he got that I don't?" he asked under his breath.

Kaydy, desperate to avoid the awkward air that was vastly approaching, pretended not to have heard his question. Instead, she tugged on the rough black sleeve of his wool school robe and quickened their pace towards the class's designated meeting place. Draco trailed a little bit behind her, watching her stop at the outskirt of the forest. He held her hand, keeping her balanced, as she carefully walked across a large root until she reached the spot where it met the trunk of the tree almost five feet in the air. Draco smiled softly as she slowly sat down, dangling her feet off the root, swinging them through the air.

"Coming?" she beckoned.

Draco obliged, dropping both of their bags at the base of the enormous tree, and followed the way she had gone. He gracefully sat down beside her, their arms and legs brushing together every so often.

"Where are your minions on this lovely morning, Dray?" Kaydy asked laying her head on Draco's shoulder.

"Still stuffing their fat faces, most likely," he said nonchalantly, earning a snort from Kaydy.

"What brings you out here so early, then?" she asked. "It's not like you to travel alone."

"No reason," he replied, refusing to meet Kaydy's eyes.

"Come on, tell me the truth," she said glancing up at him from his strong shoulder.

"I wanted to see you," he said stiffly. "Make sure you were alright."

Kaydy blushed lightly and smiled up at him, finally lifting her head from his scratchy robes.

"How cute, you care about me!" she teased, jabbing her index finger into his ribs.

"You already knew that," he smiled down at her after playfully smacking her hand away.

Kaydy smiled and pressed her lips to his pale cheek, stroking his platinum hair lovingly.

"You're a good guy, Draco," she said honestly.

His blue eyes darted away from hers as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Nearing Hagrid's hut, his four cronies sauntered down the hill and Draco ran his hand hastily through his neat hair.

"Got to go," he said hopping off the root.

"If only you'd let people see it," she said to herself watching the boy join his friends.

Slowly, more and more students began showing up for class, and Kaydy danced down the root to join them on the ground. She lifted her backpack onto her shoulder again and made her way to the group of Gryffindors she had left at breakfast.

"Hello again," she said cheerfully.

"You!" Ron bellowed pointing a large finger at Kaydy's nose.

"Yes?" she asked innocently.

"Do you realize what I just spent the last thirty minutes listening to?" Ron asked.

Kaydy glanced at Hermione who was glaring furiously at Ron with her slender arms locked over her chest. Harry rolled his eyes and let out a loud laugh, tossing his strong arm over Kaydy's shoulder.

"Ignore him. I found it quite amusing watching them bicker like an old married couple," Harry teased, and Kaydy laughed from beneath his arm.

The tips of Ron's ears burned scarlet and Hermione's cheeks flushed a similar shade.

"It's not funny!" they shouted in unison trailing behind Harry and Kaydy.

"Good! Maybe you'll think twice before taking the mickey out of me, next time," Kaydy said back to them, smirking pointedly.

Once Hagrid arrived and class begun, the students were led into the forest until they reached a large clearing. Kaydy placed her heavy bag down in a pile of twigs and fallen auburn leaves while everyone else tried (and mostly failed) to open their thrashing books. Kaydy effortlessly stroked its spine and it cooed softly as it released its latch and flopped open submissively in her small hands.

"Dementor! Dementor!" she heard Draco shout, and she turned to find him pointing a long pale finger towards the sky.

Kaydy whipped around, yanking her wand from her robes and pointing it at the canopy of leaves over their heads, ignoring the pain in her sides as the wound stretched. Not seeing the hooded figure, she glanced around at her fellow Gryffindors whose eyes moved from the Dementor-less sky to glare at the Slytherin who cried Dementor. Ron forced Harry away from Malfoy and back to where Hermione stood at the front of the class.

"And what were you going to do, Lupin? Save us all?" a stout girl mocked from Draco's side.

Pansy Parkinson smirked grotesquely, her short black hair, shiny with grease, hung in front of her pug-like face. Kaydy stepped in front of the third year Slytherin, the toes of their black shoes nearly touching, and glared down at her.

"Watch the way you speak to your superiors, Barkinson," Kaydy warned so quietly only Pansy could hear her threat.

Kaydy backed away, turning her attention on the blonde boy who started the whole fiasco and shook her head at him.

"Grow up, Malfoy," she said reproachfully.

She turned her back on him before he could reply, and made her way to stand with her housemates. Hagrid spread his large arms wide, happily presenting the extraordinary creature behind him. With the body of a horse and the head and wings of an eagle, the creature was magnificent. Silver feathers peaked through blinding white ones, and he flapped his wings proudly, sending a strong gust of wind towards the class.

"Hagrid, what the bloody hell is that thing?" Ron asked dumbfounded.

"That, Ron, is a hippogriff," Hagrid explained cheerily.

While Hagrid went off on a passionate tangent about the creature, Kaydy stared in awe at the bird he called "Buckbeak." His talons scraped the dirt beneath him, scattering tiny pebbles and debris around the tree he was bound to. However impressive the creature was, Kaydy grew bored and allowed her coffee colored eyes to wander her classmates. Harry seemed absolutely intrigued by the creature standing before him while Ron and Hermione shared an identical anxious, almost horrified look on their faces.

"Who wants to give it a go, first," Hagrid asked expecting eager hands to shoot into the air.

The entire class stepped back ten steps, with the exception of Harry, who hadn't noticed the coordinated movement.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid said waving him over.

Harry cautiously approached Hagrid and the creature, and followed his careful instructions. The boy bent his upper body towards the earth and waited a few moments before Buckbeak returned the gesture. Hagrid gave Harry the okay to reach out and pat his beak, and when the bird nuzzled into his open palm, Hagrid led the class in a soft applause.

"Blimey," Kaydy said in awe, and those around her nodded in agreement.

Once Harry and Buckbeak were out of sight on their flight, the class grew disinterested and began to chatter amongst themselves. Kaydy considered joining Ron and Hermione until she realized they had continued their argument from breakfast. Rolling her eyes, she turned and met Draco's piercing blue orbs that were already rested on her. For a moment, Kaydy thought about going over to him and sitting beside him like she would with any of her other friends. But when he sneered violently at her and turned his eyes back to his Slytherin mates, she thought better of it.

As much as Kaydy loved their friendship, she hated it as well. Over the past two years, Kaydy had grown exceptionally close to the Malfoy boy, and it pained her that he didn't want others to see that. She wished, with all her heart and soul, Draco would let everyone see the good inside of him that lies behind his cold exterior. But she knew he would never allow her to knock down his barriers completely, and she had no choice but to accept that decision.

Before long, Harry and Buckbeak returned, landing gracefully on the forest floor. As he hopped off Buckbeak the entire class erupted in a loud cheer, countless claps echoing through the woods, bouncing off the numerous tree trunks. As Harry shook Hagrid's huge hand, a tall blonde boy sauntered arrogantly towards the hippogriff. He mocked the creature, insulting it with every nasty word he muttered and intimidating step he took. The creature squawked loudly, warning the boy not to take one step closer. But as Draco dared to continue approaching him, Buckbeak stood on his hind legs and swiped his talons across Draco's arm.

"Kaydy, where are you going?" Ron called after the fourth year as she hurried ahead of her friends after class.

She did not reply and continued on her way towards the castle. She couldn't help but worry about Draco, and she found herself rushing to visit him in the hospital wing, ignoring the twinge in her side. She picked up her pace as the large doors to the hospital came into view. Knowing better than to storm in, Kaydy peeked through the doorway. Glad she didn't bombard her secret friend, Kaydy watched Pansy Parkinson fuss over Draco while he laid sulking on his cot. Kaydy turned away from the hospital, reluctantly leaving Draco in Parkinson's care, and headed for her next class: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

She limped up the stairs, adjusting her backpack every few steps, before pausing to lean her body against the stone wall. She pressed her hand to her clammy forehead and wiped the sweat from her thin eyebrows. The abrasions that wrapped around her torso screamed in terrible agony with each breath she breathed. She willed herself to continue walking, however she was extremely grateful when her identical friends arrived at her side, giving her an excuse to lean against the wall again.

"You look awful, Kaydy," George said casually as he, too, leaned his back against the jagged stones.

"Oh, how lovely of you to notice," she remarked sarcastically.

"How was Hagrid's class today?" Fred asked.

"Draco got attacked by a hippogriff," she said simply as she dropped her bag to her feet.

"Are you serious?" Fred asked gleefully.

Kaydy raised a reproachful eyebrow while her friends high-fived each other as Draco's misfortune. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, but as Fred smiled directly at Kaydy, she couldn't keep her smile from tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Oh, come on!" Fred said throwing his hands enthusiastically in the air.

"Yeah, don't act like Malfoy didn't deserve it," George smirked.

He nudged her ribs with his elbow and Kaydy had to force herself not to scream out in pain. She became dizzy and lightheaded as tears sprung to her chocolate eyes and she fought the urge to double in half. Fred watched her intently, concern flooding his hazel eyes.

"Shall we carry on to Defense?" George asked strolling ahead, oblivious to the wave of distress he had unleashed.

"Come on, Kay," Fred encouraged, lifting her backpack over his broad shoulder.

With George strolling ahead of them, Fred snaked a careful arm around Kaydy's waist helping her pull herself up the stairs. She did her best to do it on her own, but halfway to the classroom, she gave up and used Fred as a crutch.

"I really wish you'd go to the hospital wing, Kaydynce," he said in a hushed tone so his twin wouldn't hear.

"I'll be fine," she insisted.

The trio reached the classroom and Fred untangled himself from Kaydy before entering behind George. He dropped her bag on the table and watched her sit down in her seat with caution. Fred took his seat beside her once she was securely seated, and George sat to his left. When the bleak professor, dressed in solid black robes, sauntered into the room, Kaydy went rigid. His dull voice instructed the students to read two chapters during the class period in silence and write a report on it for next week's class. The topic: Werewolves.

Kaydy fidgeted nervously until Severus Snape finally dismissed the class. She rose from her seat, faster than she should have, and began walking towards the professor's desk. She waved the twins off, sending them to their next class despite Fred's look of protest.

"Sir," she said quietly once she reached the desk where Snape was seated. "I was wondering where Re- Professor Lupin is."

"I don't believe that's any of your concern, Kaydynce," he said monotonously.

"Sir, he's my guardian. Surely I have a right to know where he is," Kaydy urged.

"Your guardian," he said the word bitterly, "finds himself incapable to teach at the present time."

"Do you know where he's gone to?" she asked growing increasingly nervous.

Snape stared at her skeptically for a moment, staring into her chocolate eyes.

"You were there, weren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I was where, Professor?" Kaydy asked clueless.

"Professor Lupin will be back in class next week, Kaydynce. You best be on your way," he dismissed.

Unsatisfied with his response, Kaydy roughly swung her backpack over her shoulder in spite of the shooting pains, and huffed out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

By dinner time, Kaydy had yet to see Remus around the castle and when she took her usual seat on Fred's side, it was obvious she was on edge.

"What's wrong, Kay?" he whispered in her ear.

"I haven't seen Remus all day. I thought he'd come back and teach during the daytime," she said scanning the staff table for the seventeenth time.

"Relax. He's probably just taking extra precautions since he's at a school full of people," Fred soothed as he served her three thin slices of roast beef.

She nodded and forced herself to calm down. Fred was probably right. Remus wouldn't want to take any chances in a school full of children he could feast off of in his condition. Once she finished her meal, Kaydy excused herself and declined Fred and George's offer to escort her back to the common room. She had no intention of returning to the Gryffindor tower just yet.

Having changed out of her school robes prior to dinner, Kaydy found herself shivering slightly as she walked through the cold corridors. She tugged the sleeves of her black sweatshirt into her fists and hunched her shoulders. Her sneakers squeaked against the floor as she quietly shoved the giant doors open, revealing the boy she wished to see.

"Hello, Draco," she said as she neared his cot.

"Hi," he muttered grumpily.

"How are you feeling?" she asked sitting down in a chair beside his bed.

"I got attacked by a bloody chicken, how do you think I feel?" he snapped.

"Don't pretend you didn't have it coming," she said smartly. "If you hadn't tried to show off and provoke him, he wouldn't have caused you any harm."

Draco scoffed and rolled his silver eyes at her. Kaydy couldn't suppress the giggle that slid between her teeth as she watched the boy pout, rubbing his arm that dangled in a cloth sling.

"If you're just going to laugh at me, you can leave," he growled through his teeth.

"I'm sorry, it's not funny," she said without wiping the dazzling grin from her lips.

"How are you, though?" he asked watching her eyes closely.

"Alright, a little sore here and there, but nothing major," she lied, hoping her eyes wouldn't deceive her and tell Draco how much pain she was really in.

"Maybe you should have Madam Pomfrey look you over, as well," he suggested even though Kaydy had been shaking her head through his entire sentence.

"I'm fine, really," she swore. "When do you get out of here?"

"Soon," he said looking around the wing. "Once she's back from dinner, I think."

Kaydy nodded in response, and the pair talked a little while longer before saying a quick goodbye. Upon her arrival at the common room, she was met with a cold shoulder from a certain ginger.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked standing at the bottom of the stairs to the dormitories.

Haley and George looked around the room awkwardly while Fred glared at their friend. Kaydy's eyes widened as she watched Fred slam the wrinkled Marauder's Map down on the coffee table. She stared at him, her eyes narrowing into slits as her jaw fell to the floor.

"You were spying on me?" she seethed.

Fred nodded his head vigorously.

"I think I have every right to keep an eye on you," he growled, his voice so low and quiet she was certain only she could hear him as they stood toe to toe.

"You have no right to spy on me, Fred Weasley," she growled back. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you from the start.

His hazel eyes glared down at her.

"You have no reason to go visiting Malfoy in the hospital wing," he said back.

"He's my friend. Besides, I can visit whoever I like," she said throwing her hands on her hips.

"No," he said curtly. "Not him."

"What makes you think you have any say in the matter?" she cried.

"I'm your best friend," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That doesn't mean you can decide who I'm friends with and who I spend my time with," she argued. "I'm done with this conversation. Spy on me again, and I swear you will regret it."

Kaydy turned her back on him and trudged up the stairs, returning shortly after, her arms full with clothes, a towel and a book.

"Where are you going?" Fred called.

"Why don't you just pull your bloody map out and see?" she shouted back, slamming the portrait hole shut behind her.

"I swear, it's like he's another person whenever Draco's involved," Kaydy confided in moaning Myrtle.

The ghost of an emotionally distraught girl floated near the edge of the giant bathtub while it filled with water. Kaydy took refuge in the prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor, assuming nobody would come in and disturb her so close to curfew. She continued to whine to Myrtle until the water shut itself off, signaling her bath was ready.

"I'll talk to you again another day, Myrtle. If you'll excuse me," she said, and the ghost flew through one of the ugly stalls, disappearing to her usual lavatory, her high pitched whine echoing as she went.

Kaydy tied her long hair into a messy bun atop her head and placed her hands delicately over her face. She muttered the foreign words as Haley instructed and grazed her hands from her chin to her forehead. As she glanced in the mirror, she frowned, watching her scars slowly reappear on her tan face. With a sigh, Kaydy stepped up on the edge of the bathtub and pulled the ribbon of her violet silk robe, releasing its knot. A few fallen waves of hair tickled the back of her bare shoulders as she slipped the robe from her arms, holding it in the crook of her elbows, the back hanging just above her rear. Just as she was about to remove the robe completely, an audible gasp sounded from behind her.

"Kaydy?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Please review! I work really really hard to write this story, more so than my others and I would love to know what everyone thinks! Thanks!**

Only Joking

Chapter Five

Kaydy replaced her silk robe over her small body, clutching the smooth fabric against her bare skin and whipped around, slipping from the edge of the tub and landing painfully on her right hip. Dizzy, she attempted to regain her focus enough to register who was jogging towards her crumpled frame on the cold tile floor.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to startle you," he said crouching down beside her.

Draco laid his warm hand over her covered hip while the other found her shoulder. He supported her weight as she sorely climbed back to her feet. All the while, Draco's pale blue eyes stared at the raw purple lines across Kaydy's scarred face and she refused to meet his curious gaze.

"Your face…" he breathed cupping her cheek in his palm. "And your back."

"It's nothing, Draco. I was about to have a bath, actually, if you don't mind," she said as kindly as she could.

"I saw them, Kaydynce. They're really bad. What the bloody hell happened to you?" he persisted, his long fingers wrapping forcefully around her wrist as she tried to turn her back on him.

"I said it's nothing. You don't have to worry about me, Dray," Kaydy insisted, looking into his eyes for the first time.

His normally fierce, dazzling blue eyes sparkled with tears as he stared at the abrasions lining her perfect face. They danced across the intact half of her face before drifting reluctantly to the scratched half, trailing the three lines from her ear to her nose. Draco pulled her closer to him by her wrist and stared into her eyes.

"I want to know what really happened to you," he said calmly. "As much as I loathe Weasley, I highly doubt he did this to you."

Kaydy bit her bottom lip lightly and found herself avoiding his piercing stare once again. Telling Fred was one thing, but Draco… judgmental, prejudice Draco… he could never know. He would never understand.

"Kaydynce, please. You can trust me," Draco pleaded, something he would never do for anyone but her, which Kaydy absolutely recognized.

"Draco, I-"

"KAYDY!"

She fell silent, her entire body lurching as the bathroom door opened, banging against the tile wall behind it sending tiny bits of porcelain dancing to the floor with loud clinks. She blinked rapidly as her three friends stared at her in shock, watching as she stood dangerously close to the enemy, her robe only held closed by her tiny fist. She feverishly fastened an intricate knot and stepped away from Draco, blushing wildly.

Kaydy dared to glance at her friends, her eyes finding Haley's electric blue ones first. Haley wrinkled her thin eyebrows and cocked her head slightly to the left, evidently confused as to what her best friend was doing in a secluded bathroom with their House's worst enemy. Suddenly, Kaydy was overwhelmed with the guilt of having never told Haley the details of her and Draco's secret friendship. George's hazel eyes, staring over his twin's shoulder, danced nervously between Kaydy and his brother. Fred's eyes, the eyes Kaydy greatly wished to avoid, seethed as he panted and snarled in anger at the couple before him. As Kaydy parted her plump lips to speak, to defend themselves, Fred pointed his wand violently at Draco.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. An intense orange light jetted toward the blonde boy. In a frantic attempt to protect her, Draco easily shoved Kaydy to the floor where she slid ten feet away from him. Haley pushed passed Fred and sprinted to Kaydy's side, helping her to her feet. She held her arms around Kaydy's tiny frame, and the girls watched Fred as he continued attempting to attack Draco from within George's strong grasp. Kaydy screamed at the boys through her violent sobs and she wrapped her slender arms around her torso, tearing them away hastily upon feeling hot liquid against her bare forearm. The crimson goo stained her beautiful robe.

As Draco fumbled within his robe for his wand, Fred managed to break free of his brother's hold. He pointed his wand menacingly at the boy crouched on the floor before him. Kaydy scrambled away from Haley and rushed to Draco, standing in front of him, her arms spread wide just as the ray of light left Fred's wand, his spell missing his target, and hitting his best friend in the center of her torso.

"Kaydy!" Haley shrieked, watching her friend collapse in front of the Slytherin boy.

Blood flowed like a faucet from her abdomen, pooling around her stunned body. The three boys glanced amongst each other frantically, silently question each other what to do. Kaydy's body grew paler by the second, her chocolate eyes struggling to remain open beneath heavy lids. Coming to his senses, Fred bent down attempting to lift the small girl in his arms.

"Don't touch her!" Draco screamed in fury. "You did this to her, keep your filthy hands off her!"

Haley was uncertain whether it was the fury in Draco's icy eyes that stopped Fred from cradling Kaydynce in his strong arms, or if it was the painfully staggering guilt washing over him. Nonetheless, Fred allowed Draco to effortlessly lift Kaydy's seemingly lifeless body in his arms. For a moment, Haley, Fred and George watched Draco run off with their friend, her blood seeping into his school uniform, before running after him towards the hospital wing.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Draco's voice called, cracking slightly. "Help! Help her, please!"

The three Gryffindors watched the lone Slytherin place their friend carefully on the nearest hospital bed, yelling frantically through subtle tears at Madame Pomfrey to help Kaydy. George laced Haley's trembling finger with his and escorted her towards where Madame Pomfrey was working to save their friend's life. They took a seat near Kaydy's bed, remaining out of the nurse's way and tears leaked from Haley's pitiful blue eyes. George wrapped his long arm securely around her, holding her tightly while she sobbed into his shoulder, her small hand covering her face.

George's hazel eyes trailed to his brother's slumped body, remaining where they had left him in the doorway. Fred balled his thick fingers into fists at his sides, slamming his right hand violently into his thigh before pacing the stone floor. George almost laughed, perceiving his brother and Malfoy as they paced identically, each throwing occasional worrisome glances at Kaydy's paling body. But when George's eyes fell on Kaydy, every ounce of joy he had ever felt escaped his body completely. Her robe, having been discarded to the floor, streaked the stones with her red blood. Madame Pomfrey had covered Kaydy's chest, revealing her flat abdomen and George's eyes widened in surprise and disgust at the nasty gashes ripped into her side that he had never seen before. The abrasions oozed blood, staining the white sheets Kaydy's body had been laid on. Sick rose from his stomach burning his throat and George forced back the gag that threatened to release it all over the hospital wing. George knew that there was no way in Hell his brother had done this to her. But what did?

"Fred this isn't your fault," Haley's soft voice assured.

"Yes it is," Fred whispered, his low voice trembling. "If I hadn't gone after Malfoy, she'd never have been hit with a spell."

"It was an accident, mate. Don't be so hard on yourself," George said, patting his brother hard on the back.

"How can I not?" Fred said hopelessly as he rose to his feet, the chair he had been sitting in screeching against the stones beside Kaydy's bed. "You heard Madame Pomfrey. She may never come out of this. I'll never forgive myself."

"Fred, come on," Haley soothed quietly. "You know Kaydy won't give up just like that."

"Yeah, mate. She'll want to set you straight with a swift kick in the pants before she croaks," George joked.

"How can you even joke about that?" Fred growled. "I want to be alone, now."

He plopped back into his seat and stared at Kaydy's unmoving figure while Haley and George left the wing without another word. Fred, then, pulled his chair closer to Kaydy's bedside and leaned his forearms on the vacant space beside her left arm.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Kay… probably not, huh?" he said sadly, the tears streaming down his face evident even in his voice. "I need you to wake up, Kay. Not for myself, I'm honestly not that selfish. Even if you never wish to speak to me or see me ever again, I need you to wake up and be alright. You don't deserve to waste away like this. You're everything to me, Kay."

By the time he finished speaking, Fred was nearly choking on his sobs as they forced their way out of his throat. He laid his forehead against her freshly cleaned sheets and allowed the cotton to catch his salty tears. His fingers delicately wrapped around her chalky forearm, carefully avoiding the tubes and needles sustaining her life, and he continued to cry harder than he ever had before.

Kaydy's heart pounded in her chest, beating itself against her ribcage. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and stroke Fred's orange hair lovingly. But to her dismay, her limbs would not obey, and she continued to lie there motionless.

Kaydy's body ached, sore from having not moved in a long time. She was unsure of how long she had been out, but when her brown eyes finally opened, they fell on the elaborate Christmas decorations hanging all around the wing. She blinked her eyes a few more times, willing them to focus as she stared out the oversized window across for her bed. Snowflakes danced from the white sky, adding to the fluffy heap that had accumulated along the frosted windowpane. For a brief moment, Kaydy childishly hoped that she had not missed Christmas.

With great effort, she pushed herself into a sitting position and was surprised when she felt only slight soreness in her muscles which she assumed to be due to lack of use. She peaked beneath the thick blanket covering her half-naked body and gasped upon realizing that her wounds had not left scars at all. She grazed her fingers along her ribcage where the lesions had been and felt nothing but a slight tickle along her healed flesh. With little faith, Kaydy ran her fingertips carefully over her cheek, grinning when she felt nothing beneath her touch. She inhaled a deep cleansing breath, relieved to be rid of all evidence of the attack, and allowed her chocolate eyes to wander the cluttered tables surrounding her bed.

A soft smile graced Kaydy's face as she observed all of the trinkets and cards and flowers balanced on the tables. A swarm of balloons floated near the foot of the bed, their colorful ribbons tied securely around the metal bed post. Kaydynce leaned over to pick up a few of the cards to see who they were from. As she predicted, she held in her hands cards from Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Replacing them on her nightstand, she picked up another handful from Neville, Seamus, and Lee. George and Haley had signed their names on the countless boxes of candy scattered along each and every table. A small white care with Fred's name neatly printed across it poked out of the beautiful bouquet of pale yellow roses; her favorite flower. She couldn't decide whether or not she should be angry with Fred for her being hospitalize. She knew he would never, in a million years, intentionally harm her. However, he intended to cause such harm to her friend instead. He betrayed her trust and spied on her, following her to where she went to relax. Surely Fred assumed she was meeting Draco, but he was terribly mistaken.

Much to Kaydy's surprise, the beautifully designed card closest to her cot was signed in elegant script from the boy she least expected. Draco's neat handwriting sunk deep into the thick page and Kaydy smiled to herself, flattered by the selflessness he had shown her. For the first time since she's known Draco, he put his pride aside for her by leaving evidence of their friendship in the form of a "Get well soon" card. As she laid the thick paper back on the tabletop, she heard footsteps nearing the hospital wing and she sat up in anticipation, having not seen any of her friends in who knows how long.

"She better pull herself together or she'll miss Christmas," Haley's familiar voice bounced off the walls.

"Honestly. She'll barely have any time to shop for our gifts," Ginny's voice complained.

"She always picked the best gifts, didn't she Fred?" George said, and Kaydy could hear his grin.

"Yeah, the best," Fred's unusually glum voice sounded.

As the quartet entered the hospital wing, they each inhaled a surprised breath as Kaydy sat grinning at them all.

"Kaydy!" Ginny cried running towards her bed followed closely by Haley.

"You're okay!" Haley grinned as she and Ginny simultaneously wrapped their thin arms around Kaydy's entire body.

"I'm fine, a little sore from lying around all day, but fine all the same," Kaydy said smiling brilliantly.

"Good to see you awake, Kaydy," George smiled as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"It's great to be awake, actually," she said.

Her dazzling smile faded. Fred had remained lurking in the doorway staring ashamedly at his black school shoes. Kaydy knew he felt guilty, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him for what he had done, not anymore at least. But the fact that he was not at her bedside with the others hurt her feelings, so she forced herself to ignore him.

"How long have I been out, exactly?" she asked curiously, bringing her attention back to the friends surrounding her bed.

"About three weeks, now," George answered sympathetically.

"Fred's been doing your school work for you though, so you won't fall behind in your classes," Ginny piped up, glancing at her older brother, encouraging him to join the group.

"You have?" Kaydy asked peeking over Ginny's auburn head.

"Yeah," Fred said quietly, a faint blush rising to his freckled cheeks.

The tips of his ears burned scarlet as he pushed his rusty hair, longer than Kaydy remembered, behind them.

"I had some help from Hermione, though," he said as he slowly strolled closer to Kaydy's bed.

"Thank you," Kaydy smiled up at him.

He half-smiled and tucked his left hand in his back pocket while his right one caressed Kaydy's renewed cheek. Fred bowed his head to press his lips to her forehead, allowing them to linger against his warm skin for an extra moment or two before rising back to his full height. Kaydy felt the heat of her blood rushing to her cheeks and ran her fingers through her knotty hair.

"Ugh! Have I not bathed in three weeks?" Kaydy wrinkled her nose in disgust as the oils from her hair shined her fingertips.

"Did you expect one of us to wash you?" Haley asked raising a thin eyebrow.

"Though I bet someone would have enjoyed that," George muttered smartly as he grinned evilly at his twin.

Without a word, Fred thumped George on the back of the head, forcing George to retaliate. Before long, the twins were immersed in a full out wrestling match on the stone floor of the hospital wing.

"See what we've been dealing with without you?" Ginny said watching her brothers roll around the floor.

"If you ever leave me alone with these two again, I will kill you, Kaydynce," Haley threatened rising to her feet.

Without a second thought, Haley shoved the toe of her black high heeled boot into the ribs of the nearest twin before doing the same to the other. They grunted and rolled onto their backs, attempting to retrieve the breath Haley had knocked out of them. She adjusted the skirt of her uniform before returning to her seat at the side of Kaydy's cot.

"So has Madame Pomfrey set you free, yet?" Haley asked nonchalantly.

"No, she hasn't come in since I've been awake," Kaydy said shrugging her shoulders. "Should be tonight, though. I feel wonderful."

"You haven't called her in? What are you waiting for? MADAME POMFREY!" Haley bellowed.

The hefty woman bustled in with her hand over her heart.

"Good grief Miss Scott, you nearly sent me into a fit of worry," the nurse scolded. "Miss Lupin, how lovely to see you awake."

"When can I leave, Madame Pomfrey?" Kaydy asked eager to return to her common room; to her normal life.

"Tonight, I think. After supper, you can return to your common room and resume classes on Monday morning," she said smiling in a motherly fashion.

"Finally," Fred and George cried in unison.

Madame Pomfrey smiled at them before returning her thoughtful gaze to the recovering girl in the bed.

"If you all could excuse us, I need a few words with Miss Lupin," Madame Pomfrey dismissed the group, ushering them from the hospital wing as they shouted goodbyes to their smiling friend.

"Miss Lupin," Madame Pomfrey began, pulling a seat next the girl's cot. "I feel it extremely necessary to discuss the injuries you procured three weeks ago. I know those lacerations did not come from Mr. Weasley's wand, Miss Lupin. In fact, I know exactly what caused such harm to you."

Kaydy's breath caught in her throat. If anyone found out about Remus's condition, especially if they do so because of her, she would never forgive herself. She made certain to keep her expression blank, refraining from revealing anything Madame Pomfrey was waiting for.

"Now, I'm not certain how or why you came into contact, let alone found yourself under the attack of, a werewolf, Kaydynce. However, you must understand how fatally dangerous these creatures are," Madame Pomfrey said seriously, and Kaydy slowly released the breath she had been holding. "I will remind you that the Forbidden Forest is indeed _forbidden_, Miss Lupin. You are not to enter the forest under any circumstance without a professor, do you understand?"

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey," Kaydy replied respectfully.

"Good," Madame Pomfrey said simply. "Now, go on and get dressed. I expect dinner will be coming to a close shortly. See me once more before you leave."

Once Madame Pomfrey left her bedside, Kaydy tugged the curtains around her area shut and picked up the clothes the nurse had placed at the foot of the bed. As she dressed in the, now, loose jeans and slightly baggy tank top, Kaydy stretched her unused limbs. She tied the laces of her sneakers and made her way towards the tiny alcove Madame Pomfrey referred to as her office. She had Kaydy sign release papers and sent them soaring into her folder within the nearby file cabinet.

"I've sent your gifts to your dormitory," Madame Pomfrey informed her. "Kaydynce."

Kaydy stopped in the doorway of the hospital wing and turned back to face the wrinkled face staring at her with worry.

"Werewolves are monsters that should not be chased," she warned. "Remember that."

Kaydy nodded her head slowly before leaving the wing, walking slowly towards the Gryffindor tower. Upon entering the portrait hole, Kaydy was overwhelmed by the familiar warmth of the room. Pushing aside the urge to collapse on the nearest couch and rest, she trudged up the stairs and went straight into the lavatory.

Kaydynce twisted the knob on the shower, the ancient pipes banging against each other as hot water shot out of the nozzle. Kaydy stripped down to nothing and stepped into the soothing water. She cherished how wonderful the hot liquid felt on her healed skin, no longer experiencing the staggering pain of water against those ugly gashes. She remained beneath the water longer than necessary, relishing in the fresh, clean feeling that was washing over her. Although she was reluctant to step out of the confines of the stall, she was eager to catch up with her friends.

Kaydynce dried off her repaired body and stepped into a pair of thin blue lounge pants. She fastened her sports bra over her breasts and zipped up a light white hoodie. She frowned slightly at how loose her clothes had become since her stay in the hospital wing, but what could she expect after being fed through a tube for the past three weeks? After tugging tiny white socks over her little feet, she was finally ready to return to the common room.

"Here she is," George said happily from his spot on the largest crimson couch.

Haley lifted her head slightly off his lap and smiled at Kaydy as she descended the steps. Kaydy smiled knowingly at Haley as she shut her eyes, allowing George to continue absentmindedly playing with her long platinum locks. Catching her stare, George winked dramatically at Kaydy, and she could hardly hold in her laughter.

As she neared the fireplace, the Golden Trio entered the common room muttering to one another in a hushed whisper. Harry's emerald eyes glanced at Kaydy, doing a quick double-take. She smiled mesmerizingly and Harry wiggled away from his friends rushing towards Kaydy. She giggled into his shoulder as he captured her in his strong embrace, lifting her feet slightly off the ground.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Kaydy," he begged kissing her cheek, returning her to the carpeted floor. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Harry," she smiled loosening her grip around his neck.

"How is everything? You've been alright?" she asked concerned.

"Not exactly," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come sit," Kaydy said ushering him towards the fireplace. "What did I miss while I was out?"

"Well, Harry got attacked by some more Dementors," Ron said joining the pair where they sat on the floor.

"Harry fell off his broom over a hundred feet," Fred chimed in from where he had been sitting in an armchair.

"Dumbledore was furious. They're not supposed to come inside the grounds," Hermione explained propping her small figure on the coffee table nearby.

"Yeah. And then there's Sirius Black coming inside the castle," George said casually.

"What?" Kaydy shrieked, her eyes becoming large chocolate saucers.

"Relax, you can't possibly believe that rubbish," Haley said swishing her hand through the air.

"How could he have possibly gotten inside the castle?" Fred inquired, agreeing with Haley.

"They think someone, a professor to be more specific, let him in," Hermione said skeptically.

"Who thinks that?" Kaydy asked in disbelief.

"Dumbledore doesn't believe a professor in this castle would help a murder to enter," Hermione defended.

"But Snape does," Ron muttered glaring into the flames.

"Who does he think would possibly allow a mass murder into a castle full of harmless children?" Kaydy asked incredulously.

The room grew quiet and Kaydy's eyes danced over every face surrounding her while they all tried to avoid her gaze.

"Remus?" Kaydy assumed. "Snape thinks Remus would do a thing like that? Is he out of his bloody mind?"

"We know he wouldn't," Fred defended.

"Lupin's been extremely protective of me since start of term. I highly doubt he'd help a man who wants to kill me into the castle," Harry said shaking his head.

"Why would he want to kill you?" Kaydy asked.

"Dunno," Harry shrugged. "But everyone's been telling me he does."

"As intriguing as this conversation is, could we please lighten up a bit? It's Kaydy's first night home from the hospital wing," Haley pleaded.

Before Kaydy could argue and beg to hear more, Harry and his two friends got up and said a quick goodnight.

"So Kay," Fred started.

"Feel up to coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" George finished.

"It's the last trip before holiday," Haley hinted.

"Of course! I obviously haven't gotten around to buying anyone gifts yet," Kaydy said smiling, thrilled she hadn't missed her favorite holiday of the year.

"Thank Merlin! I was worried I wouldn't get a gift from my best friend!" Haley grinned.

Kaydy shook her head and crawled towards where Fred was sitting and positioned herself between his spread legs. She placed her forearm over his thigh and laid her head on top of it watching George as he continued to twirl Haley's hair around his fingers.

"Care to tell me what's going on between you two?" Kaydy teased smirking slightly.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," George denied.

"Hanging around, you know how that is," Haley said nodding in Fred's direction.

Kaydy's eyes narrowed and she stuck her tongue between her lips.

"They've been flirting non-stop for the past few weeks," Fred joined in.

"Have not," they both argued.

"They've been all over each other, even during meals!" Fred cried in distress. "Couldn't even eat my food in peace."

"Shut it," Haley grumbled while George raised his middle finger at his twin.

Fred laughed loudly and stroked Kaydy's long wavy hair. She smiled subconsciously and nuzzled further into his leg as he began twisting her long chestnut locks between his large fingers. He ran his fingertips from the top of her scalp to the very ends of her hair, sending her skin into a fit of tingles and shivers.

"I think I'm ready for bed," Haley announced, rising from George's lap.

"Me too, have to wake up early to catch the carriages," he said yawning.

"No you don't," Fred said smartly.

"Yeah, we've been taking the passages for years now," Kaydy said watching them skeptically.

"Right you are," George said rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You can show me the secret passages, then?" Haley suggested glancing at George.

"Will do," he said smiling down at her.

Kaydy and Fred stared at them in confusion before the pair bolted up their respective staircase.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Kaydy asked sitting up to look at Fred.

"No idea," he said staring suspiciously after them.

Kaydy pushed herself to her feet, her muscles still sore, and occupied the spot George has recently vacated. As her eyes met Fred's she watched a wave of guilt flood his entire face as he watched her pained expression while she flexed her legs.

"Kaydynce, I'm-"

"Don't, Fred," she interrupted. "Don't worry about it."

"I shouldn't have followed you," he said shaking his head at himself. "And I shouldn't have gone after Malfoy like I did. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I said don't worry about it," she insisted. "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"It's not fine, Kaydynce. You almost died, do you realize that?" he asked flinging himself out of his chair.

Kaydy watched as he paced in front of the fireplace. He ran his hand through his long hair and stopped, placing his fist to his lips.

"I was so concerned with Lupin or Malfoy bringing you harm and in the end, it was me who sent you to the hospital wing," he whispered.

"Fred," Kaydy said quietly as she rose to her feet.

"It was me who sent you into a coma," his voice trembled. "It was me who nearly killed you."

"Stop," she said forcefully.

She threw her small figure into his chest and locked her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry, Kay," he whispered, slowly snaking his arms around her shoulders.

"I forgive you," she said into his hard chest.

"How can I make it up to you?" he asked, and Kaydy thought for a moment.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

Kaydy awoke at precisely nine o'clock the following morning, a cold chill kissing her exposed cheeks. She snuggled a moment longer beneath her covers before forcing herself out of bed. She showered quickly, eager to get dressed in her warm clothing, and pointed her wand at her long hair. It dried instantly into a long, sleek sheet of silk, draping well past her shoulders. She forced her feet into her snug black boots and tucked her skinny jeans inside. Over her tight, long-sleeved plum colored shirt, she wore a heavy gray coat. She tucked her fluffy white scarf beneath the collar of her coat and tugged the matching hat over her smooth hair. After tucking her wand and a thin pair of gloves in her pocket, Kaydy exited her dormitory to meet her friends in the common room.

"Hey," Kaydy greeted Fred as she reached the common room.

"Hello there," he smiled. "You look lovely."

"Thank you," she blushed. "Where are Haley and George?"

"They wanted to eat before we head out," Fred said rolling his eyes.

"Typical," Kaydy rolled her own eyes.

"Would you like to go on without them for now?" he invited as he pulled his black hat over his ginger hair.

"Sure, let's go," she smiled leading the way.

As they stepped outside, the frigid air nipped at Kaydy's nose and she ducked her face further into her scarf. Snowflakes fluttered towards to white ground and Kaydy's feet sunk a few inches into the powdery mass. As she continued to stray from the castle, an icy cold wad of snow collided with the back of her head, melting against her straight hair. She whipped around and received another blow square in the chest.

"Frederick Weasley!" Kaydy shrieked before shaping her own snowball.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you," he called and Kaydy looked up at him from where she was crouched.

Her jaw dropped, watching him saunter closer, levitating a hoard of snowballs beside him.

"That's not fair! I wasn't going to use magic!" she cried before jumping to her feet and clumsily sprinting away.

Fred launched the snowballs at her, hitting her every time. She cackled just as loudly as he was although she was clearly losing the battle. She ducked behind a lone tree trunk and pulled her wand from her coat, conjuring a dozen snowballs before blindly launching them around the tree. Fred's barking laughter filled her ears and she peeked around the tree. Haley's black coat and hat was now covered in white snow, disappearing as it melted into the fabric. The cold water dripped down her face, saturating her curled blonde hair.

"I am going to murder you, Lupin!" she screamed as she launched countless gobs of snow towards Kaydy.

"George, control your woman!" Kaydy cried as she bolted from her hiding place.

The redheaded twins rolled in the snow laughing hysterically as they watched the angelic blonde girl torment the clumsy brunette.

"Don't run from me, Kaydynce!" Haley shouted as she sent more snow soaring her way.

"Fred, help me!" Kaydy called as she circled the courtyard, heading back towards the boys while Haley chased after her.

"Take cover!" Fred shouted as he tackled Kaydy into the snow.

The pair rolled several feet through the white powder before coming to a slippery stop. Tears dripped from Kaydy's eyes as she laughed uncontrollably from beneath Fred's firm body. He grinned down at her, his body shielding her from the snowballs the continued to propel their way. He carefully dusted a piece of stray hair from her pink cheek and continued to stare down at her. Kaydy's laughter subsided and she held Fred's gaze for as long as she could, memorizing the exact color of his hazel eyes, noticing for the first time the way that the copper rims held a murky green swamp within them. Kaydynce felt her eyes fluttering closed as his face neared hers ever so slowly. She cringed when a freezing wet mass made contact with her cheek.

"Truce!" Fred yelled wiping the snow from Kaydy's stinging cheek.

Without another word, Fred removed his weight from Kaydy and pulled her to her feet. He began dusting the white snow from her back when his hands abruptly stopped.

"What is it?" she asked growing worried.

"It's just…you've got some on your…" he trailed off.

"What? Just get it off, Fred," she said growing colder as the snow melted through her clothing.

He obliged and began patting the firm cheeks of her rear, the tips of his ears burning beneath his hat. He shamefully prolonged the process, dragging his hands longer and slower than necessary.

"I think it's all gone, mate," George teased, a laugh escaping his lips while Haley giggled from behind her manicured fingers at his side.

"Right," Fred said sheepishly pulling his hands quickly away from Kaydynce.

"Thanks," she said turning to face him once more.

In no rush to catch a carriage, the group decided to continue to play outside in the courtyard like children. They had taken to building a snowman when strange footprints appeared in the snow with no body to go with them.

"Kaydy," Haley whispered, jerking her head in the direction of the footprints.

"Boys," Kaydy called quietly, pointing her short finger.

"Clever Harry, but not clever enough," Fred said as he and George seized the invisible boy.

"Come on guys, I'm trying to get to Hogsmeade," Harry groaned.

"We know," they said in unison.

Kaydy and Haley trailed behind the twins as Harry struggled against their hold.

"If you'll stop squirming, we have a better way," George said. "Now Harry..."

"Come and join the big boys," the twins said menacingly.

"This can't be good," Haley winced as she and Kaydy followed.

"It'll be fine," Kaydy reassured her.

"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map," Harry read as the boys handed him the tattered parchment.

"We owe them so much," George smiled guiltily.

"Hang on. This is Hogwarts. And that... No. Is that really...?" Harry trailed off.

"Dumbledore," Fred replied.

"In his study," George jumped in.

"Pacing," Kaydy concluded.

"Does that a lot," George said pensively.

"So you mean this map shows...?" Harry inquired.

"Everyone," Fred replied simply.

"Everyone?" Harry asked.

"Everyone," George confirmed.

"Where they are," Fred continued.

"What they're doing," Kaydy added.

"Every minute," Haley jumped in.

"Of every day," George finished.

"Brilliant! Where'd you get it?" Harry inquired.

"Nicked it from Filch's office, of course, first year," Fred said proudly.

"Now, listen. There are seven secret passageways out of the castle. We'd recommend..."

"This one," Kaydy and the twins said at once.

"The One-Eyed Witch passageway," Fred explained.

"It'll lead you straight to Honeyduke's cellar," George stated.

"Harry, don't forget. When you're done, just give it a tap and say, "Mischief Managed." Otherwise anyone can read it," Kaydy instructed seriously.

"Great! Thanks you guys," Harry grinned before slipping back under his cloak with the map.

"Why'd you guys give him the map?" Haley asked as they headed towards The One-Eyed Witch passageway themselves.

George shrugged somewhat bitterly while Fred glanced down at Kaydy.

"It's time to pass on the legacy, I think," Fred replied.

George's slight irritation evaporated as Haley's fingers locked around his forearm pulling him ahead excitedly. Kaydynce smiled up at Fred and linked her arm in his.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"That doesn't make up for what I did to you," he grumbled.

"It does to me. It insures that it won't happen again, at least," she reasoned.

"Are you two coming or not?" George called while Haley continued to tug him through the passageway she was unfamiliar with.

"Coming!" Kaydy laughed tugging Fred along with her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Six**

"I swear, you should have been in Ravenclaw, Kay," Fred said naturally laying his head on her shoulder.

Kaydy chuckled and continued to quickly scribble across the parchment. George held several scrolls in his hands, examining them carefully, nodding in understanding occasionally. Whether he actually understood Kaydy's measurements or calculations was unclear.

"You truly are a genius, Kaydy," George said agreeing with his twin.

"Now, if only you'd use your brains for good instead of evil," Hermione said disapprovingly.

Kaydy smirked and shook her head to herself.

"Stop trying to taint her mind, Granger!" Fred said dramatically covering Kaydy's ears.

Hermione rolled her warm eyes and continued on her way to the large armchair beside the fire.

"Get off me, Fred," Kaydy laughed, swatting his hands away.

She wrote a few more words before tossing her quill down on the table and nodding her head in approval.

"Done," she said tiredly.

"And you're absolutely sure this'll work?" George asked reading over the countless diagrams Kaydy had created.

"Like a charm," she assured him with a confident smile as she massaged her aching hand.

"You never cease to amaze me," Fred said smiling at her.

Their eyes met, and Kaydy's cheeks began to burn. From the corner of her eye, she could see George grinning to himself, staring between the two. She cleared her throat and twisted her fingers in her lap.

"Thanks, Fred," she said quietly. "So when do you boys want to put it together and test them out?"

"Maybe over the holiday while you're at the Burrow with us to clean up the mess we make?" George suggested smiling sheepishly.

"I wish I could spend Christmas at the Burrow," Haley whined from where she was stretched across the carpet, lifting her slender legs, the toes of her sock-covered feet pointing to the ceiling.

"Shut it, you're going to Paris, you lucky slag," Kaydy glared watching her already toned friend exercise.

"I offered to take you with me," Haley argued. "But you wanted to stay with these two gits for the holiday."

"It's not Christmas without the Weasleys," Kaydy smiled to herself.

"I wouldn't know," Haley grumbled as she turned on to her side to perform the next workout.

"Don't worry, Haley, you're not missing much," Ron mumbled as he shamelessly watched her intently. "Just a redundant amount of food and Mum's handmade gifts."

"I love food!" Haley whined. "And gifts!"

"Stop your whining," Kaydy poked the girl's round rear with her toe. "You'll be around for plenty more Christmases to come."

"When can I open- I mean exchange my gifts with you lot?" Haley asked kneeling on the carpet before pushing, herself into a downward facing dog position.

"Put your eyes back in your head, Georgie," Fred mocked, earning a pillow to the face from his clone.

Haley dropped to her knees, her face flushed in embarrassment, and pouted at Kaydy.

"Relax, he hasn't been standing there long," Kaydy smirked wildly.

"Back to my question, please," Haley crossed her legs.

"Well we leave tomorrow morning, so if you'd like to do them now, we can," Kaydy permitted.

With a gleeful squeal, Haley darted up the stairs and returned shortly after with an armful of presents.

"Haven't you all got something for me?" she said sadly, realizing nobody had moved.

"Of course," Fred said smirking.

"We've also got wands and magical abilities to summon them," George replied pulling his wand from his pocket.

Kaydy, Fred, Hermione, Ron and Harry did the same and a gift appeared in each of their laps. Haley smiled gleefully, her cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment. She tore through her gifts one by one, intrigued by each one for a moment or two before moving on to the next. Hermione had given Haley a decent sized box which contained a trunk full of different makeup and cosmetic products. Harry and Ron each bought her several bottles of nail polish that would force her to stop biting her nails, a habit both boys had grown incredibly disgusted with over the past few months. Fred had haphazardly wrapped her gift in tattered red paper and Kaydy smirked at his disorder. Within the wrappings was a picture frame holding a photograph of the four friends that they had taken a couple of weeks ago with the snowman they had built together.

"Who knew Fred was so sentimental," Haley teased after thanking him for the gift.

"I have a thing for photography," Fred admitted, winking down at Kaydy.

The image that sits on both of their night tables from two summers ago flashed in her mind. She found herself blushing like a fool, the heat in her cheeks warming her entire body.

As she opened the box that Kaydy had poked holes into, Haley's jaw dropped. Her small hands reached into the box, removing the tiny white kitten from its confines. It mewed loudly as their blue eyes met for the first time and Haley cradled it against her large chest.

"Kaydy! I love her!" Haley exclaimed reaching over to hug her friend.

"I thought you might," Kaydy smiled. "Now you have your own cat to fuss over, and you can leave Ginger alone."

The stunning blonde poked her tongue between her glossy lips. Finally, Haley got to George's gift, a thin rectangle wrapped in plain black paper with a shiny silver ribbon laced carefully around it. Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion for a second as she undid the ribbon. Once the box was opened, her eyes widened in surprise, a dazzling smile gracing her beautiful face.

"George," she breathed removing the silver chain from its foam case.

He moved to her, taking it gingerly from her hands, as she lifted her long hair out of his way. Once he latched the clasp, she dropped her waves and fingered the three small diamonds as they dangled down her cleavage. Kaydy and Fred exchanged a glance as George smiled down at the girl before him. In one swift movement, Haley's hands found the back of his neck, and forced his head down to her level, crashing her lips to his. Kaydy's eyes widened and a laugh escaped her lips as George fumbled to kiss her back, his hands holding her narrow waist. Fred, Ron and Harry cheered loudly while Hermione blushed and looked away as though she were intruding on a private moment.

"Get a room!" Kaydy called loudly through her laughter.

"Thank you, George," Haley smiled up at him as she pecked his lips one more time. "I love it."

"It looks beautiful on you," he replied smiling down at her, still attempting to recover from the shock of their first kiss.

"Okay, okay can we open ours now?" Fred asked tossing a pillow at the pair.

"Right! Yeah, go ahead," Haley smiled as she let herself be pulled onto George's lap.

Harry and Ron received overloaded gift bags full of every sweet Honeyduke's had to offer. Haley had given Hermione a book on dating, "Winning the Wizard of Your Dreams: the friend-zone edition," earning quite the laugh from Harry and Kaydy. Fred was given a potion that she had brewed, with a good amount of Kaydy's help, that would grant him creativity beyond imagination for twenty-four hours, allowing him to come up with fantastic and original ideas for the joke shop he and George dreamed of opening. George carefully opened his green box and pulled out a small piece of parchment.

"Look out the window?" he read aloud, and everyone's eyes fell toward the oversized bay window across the room.

In the darkness, the group could barely make out the silhouette of the large object floating outside the glass. George neared the window and tugged it open, allowing his gift to enter the common room along with a freezing gust of wind.

"It's a Firebolt!" George cried as his large fingers wrapped around its cool wood.

"Blimey!" Fred breathed as he and Harry tripped over each other to get a better look.

"Haley, you shouldn't have done this," George grinned, his gaze not moving from the piece of equipment.

"It's nothing," she said modestly.

Her soft voice seeming to have broken the trance he was in, George took three strides to her and scooped her up in his strong arms. He pecked her cheek once before landing his lips firmly against hers, suddenly confident with the display of affection. Kaydy smiled at the pair and began opening her own heavy gift in her lap as Fred sunk in the seat beside her, draping his arm lazily around her waist. Removing the wrappings, Kaydy stared down at the hard cover of an enormous book, her eyes scanning the scroll.

"Create Your Own Charms and Enchantments," she read.

"Thought you could use it to help with the joke shop," Haley said from beneath George's strong arm. "I know they rely on you for your magical abilities and I saw this book and thought you'd like it and put it to good use. It's apparently one of a kind."

"I absolutely love it! This is brilliant, Haley," Kaydy grinned as her fingers flipped through the pages. "Imagine the mayhem I can create!"

Hermione watched nervously as Kaydy scanned a page or two, reading briefly about how to go about creating specific, original charms and how to legally patent them as your own. She closed it with a thud and thanked her blonde best friend.

"Great, Hales, now we won't see her at all over the holiday," Fred complained.

"Yeah, she'll lock herself in OUR room reading it all day long," George whined too.

Kaydy and Haley laughed and shook their heads almost identically.

"It's getting late," Harry announced checking the clock over the mantle.

"We're off to bed," Ron agreed leading the trio up the stairs for bed.

"I still have to pack," Haley admitted biting her plump lip. "I'll see you lot bright and early tomorrow morning."Hal

She bent down and pecked George's waiting lips and strolled up the girls' stairs.

"So… are you two official, then?" Kaydy asked curiously, flipping through the pages of her book again.

"Dunno," George replied. "I plan to talk to her about it on the train."

"Should I give you the 'don't-you-dare-hurt-my-best-friend speech' now or later?" Kaydy joked as his face turned the slightest bit pink.

"She's my best friend too, you know," George mumbled. "I'm going to bed. Night guys."

"Night," Fred and Kaydy called as the ginger rose up the boys' staircase.

"Are you going to bed too?" Fred asked the little brunette.

"Not yet," she said quietly. "I actually have to go somewhere in a minute."

"To him?" Fred glowered at the dying flames.

"We agreed to exchange gifts tonight, as well," she admitted, running her nails through her long hair.

Fred continued to glare at the embers as he propped his feet on the coffee table. Kaydy rose to her feet and glanced down at him. She kissed his cheek and ruffled his growing cinnamon hair, his hazel eyes softening at the contact.

"You don't have to wait up for me. I'll be alright," she smiled down at him before leaving the common room.

"Draco," Kaydy called in a harsh whisper. The platinum blonde boy surveyed the deserted corridor, unable to see her where she was crouched in the shadows.

"Who's there?" he called, gripping his wand in his fingers.

"It's me," she said stepping into the candlelight.

"Don't do that, Kaydy," he growled relaxing.

"Sorry," she laughed. "Can you come for a walk with me? I have your Christmas gift, as well."

"Yeah, sure," he said with no hesitation. "Where to?"

Kaydy shrugged and walked wherever her feet carried her.

"Do you mind taking me to one of your secret passages?" he asked.

When Kaydy raised her eyebrows at him, he added, "I don't want a detention!"

"Amateur," Kaydy teased, but led him into the nearest secret tunnel nonetheless.

They walked, side by side, in complete silence. Kaydy trailed her fingertips along the cold stone, feeling her way through the passageway. She had memorized each twist and dip in the path ages ago after making countless escapes with Fred and George. The darkness did not leave her blind, but she heard Draco stumbling behind her.

Kaydy admired Draco's newfound patience. Although he must have been frustrated, spastically fumbling through the dark, he never complained. He understood that it would take time for Kaydy to gather her thoughts well enough to put them into words that he would understand.

The realization broke her heart. Draco knew Kaydy, respected her, and, most importantly, he trusted her. And she betrayed him with her lies. He had shocked her over the years with his honesty, yet all this time, she'd been lying to his face. Who would've thought that Draco would turn out to be the better half of the pair.

So lost in thought, Kaydynce hadn't noticed that she had stopped walking. She did not feel the tears sliding down her face, dripping from her eyes like faucets. She did, however, feel the slow, gentle swipe of a smooth thumb across her cheek, brushing them away.

"Lumos," Draco mumbled, and a bright, white light lit up the small tunnel.

He stared down into her eyes solemnly.

"Are you ready to tell me what really happened?" he asked firmly.

"Not really," she admitted. "Are you ready to hear it?"

The blonde thirteen year old thought for a moment, truly running over the possibilities in his mind, before nodding his head. His platinum hair fell into his pale blue eyes as he stared down at her, waiting for her trembling voice to fill the silence.

"You need to swear to me that you won't repeat a single word of what I say to you, Draco. I mean it, this is extremely confidential information that cannot be shared with anyone," Kaydy demanded. "And I need you to promise to try to put your prejudice aside. For me."

"You have my word," he whispered, watching her intently.

"Remus has this…condition…where he changes into a beast every so often. He doesn't exactly remember what happens while he's in that state. He can't recognize me, or anyone else for that matter. He'd likely kill his best friend if he crossed his path," Kaydy explained hurriedly, using words she had read in a textbook once.

"Are you telling me Lupin's a werewolf?" Draco cried, and Kaydy nodded her head slowly, keeping her brown eyes on her friend.

"And he's the one who left those markings on you like that?" Draco growled growing increasingly furious.

"He didn't mean to," Kaydy defended meekly.

"What the hell were you doing so close to a werewolf, Kaydynce? Do you understand how stupid that was? He could've killed you!" Draco screamed, his deep voice echoing through the passage.

"He needs me to protect him and keep an eye on him," Kaydy replied calmly. "He needs my help."

"Did he ask you for help, Kaydynce?" Draco inquired, seeming to already know the answer.

She remained silent, confirming his suspicions.

"Didn't think so," Draco replied curtly. "He doesn't need the 'protection' of a fourteen year old girl, Kaydynce."

"You act like I can't handle it," she mumbled sourly, her eyes stinging as salty liquid flooded them.

"Clearly you can't! Do you understand? Can you even imagine what it was like to see my best friend lying in a hospital bed unconscious? How do you think I felt carrying your lifeless, hemorrhaging body in my arms?" Draco shouted, his voice cracking slightly as he became emotional. "You can't handle it, Kaydynce! And I can't handle see you like that again."

Kaydy held her tongue, realizing that any form of rebuttal she may come up with was extremely childish and spiteful. She bowed her head, a curtain of long waves falling in her face, and swayed her weight from one foot to the other.

"You're not following him again, Kaydynce," Draco said sternly.

"Draco, you don't understand anything about this," she argued.

"I understand the danger you're putting yourself in," he shouted.

"He's a werewolf, Dray, not a bunny! What do you expect? It's bound to be dangerous," she cried.

"It's also unnecessary," he said simply. "Listen to me, Kaydy. You're not doing it anymore."

"I have to, Draco; there's nobody else to protect him," she insisted making her way out of the passage.

"He's not your responsibility, Kaydy," Draco said trailing after her.

"Someone has to save him," she said glaring at him over her shoulder.

"You can't save people, Kaydynce! Stop hanging around Potter so much," he spat.

"Gryndillow," she said, and the Fat Lady swung open.

She stomped into the common room, kicking a chair out of her path in fury. Her brown eyes focused on the dismal flames and she strode over the fireplace, removing its gate. Without a second though, she tossed the neatly wrapped box into the golden flames, watching the paper and cardboard disintegrate. The seeker's gloves and five practice golden snitches melted into the burning logs and Kaydy sat down on the edge of the coffee table. She clutched her face in her hands and hot angry tears leaked into her palms.

The table creaked beneath her as it took on more weight, and she felt a powerful arm slither around her waist. Fred's scent filled her nose and she leaned her weight against him as he cooed sweet words in her ear. Her tears quickly subsided and Kaydy let him continue to comfort her.

"Care to talk about it, love?" he asked sweetly.

"He just doesn't understand," she muttered.

"Hang on, you told _Malfoy_?" Fred asked, surprise and anger evident in his tone.

"He's my friend too, Fred. He knew my wounds couldn't have possibly been from you. He needed to know the truth," Kaydy defended herself.

"Haley's your best mate and she still doesn't know," Fred spat.

"Draco asked," she replied stupidly.

"You think Haley hasn't been pestering me and George? She knows I didn't put those gashes all over your body. She's not stupid, Kaydynce," Fred argued.

"Wait, you told George?" She growled and Fred's eyes widened.

"I…I'm sorry! He's my twin. He's been lied to just as long as I've been. He riddled it out of me!" Fred cried.

Kaydy's eyes softened and she sighed audibly.

"I don't care that George knows. I'll tell Haley eventually, too. I just need to know that I can trust her with such serious information. You have to remember, I've known Draco for a long time. He trusts me with everything, and I'd been lying to him since day one. He has a right to know," Kaydy replied.

"I had been lied to for nine years, but he gets to find out the same time I do?" Fred accused. "Doesn't seem fair."

"Fred, please. He obviously didn't take the news well. I have to hope to Merlin that he won't be a spiteful prat and tattle," she said rubbing her temples with her index fingers.

"That's another thing! How could you possibly trust him not to sellout? He doesn't care about you like I do, and like George does," Fred stumbled. "He can't be trusted. The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be."

"Draco hasn't given me any reason not to trust him," Kaydy replied.

"The way he's treated Harry and Ron, and the rest of my family isn't enough?" Fred asked angrily.

Kaydy grew quiet. Fred was right. No matter how many times she had pleaded with Draco, trusting him not to harass her friends especially for their blood status, he refused. He was never able to ignore his prejudice, even for her. What made her think he would do so now?

"I know you want to trust him, and that you're determined to find some good in him, Kay. But what if there really isn't any?" Fred asked, tightening his grip on her waist.

The following morning, Kaydy dragged her suitcase down the girls' staircase, Haley struggling with her own a few steps behind. Kaydy ran her fingers tiredly through her long locks and added her luggage to the pile by the fireplace that would be sent to the train for storage. Haley sighed dramatically as she did the same before collapsing in an exhausted heap on the couch.

"Don't get too comfortable, we have to get going," Kaydy warned from where she stood against the mantle.

"We have to wait for the twins. They won't be down for another hour," she mumbled into one of the several fluffy pillows.

As the words left her scarlet-painted lips, the identical redheads bounded down the stairs, tossing their suitcases effortlessly atop the heap, much to Haley's displeasure. She groaned as Kaydy tugged her from the couch by her bony wrist.

"George, help me," Kaydy grunted while Haley put up a good fight.

George slipped her slender arm over his neck and hoisted her easily over his shoulder. Kaydy and Fred laughed loudly, following behind while Haley pounded against George's stiff back. He didn't release the beautiful blonde until they reached the carriages where he placed her delicately back on her feet. She swatted his shoulder before allowing him to escort her into the carriage.

"Kaydynce," she heard and turned around.

"Remus," she smiled softly.

She had not spoken to Remus since the accident and her stay in the hospital wing. She expected he'd known it had been his fault and felt immense guilt. She kept her distance, granting him the time and space he needed to wallow in his sorrow for a while. But she was thrilled he had come to bid her farewell before she left for the holidays.

"I'm sorry I hadn't come to see you sooner," he apologized, and she waved him off.

"Stop it, it's not a big deal," she smiled up at him, noticing the fading scratches along his face.

"Right, well," he said awkwardly. "Have a good time with your friends, alright?"

"Will do," she hugged him tightly. "Love you, Remus."

"I love you too, darling," he replied squeezing her shoulders as she moved away from him.

It was a brief exchange, but Kaydy felt so much better after leaving his embrace. She didn't need him to fuss over her or apologize until he was blue in the face. She just wanted him to know that she loved him no matter what happens.

Kaydy smiled as she grasped Fred's open hand, allowing him to hoist her onto the metal steps.

"Fred!"

Kaydy turned her head and frowned. The beautiful fifth year was waving enthusiastically as she strolled closer. Angelina flipped her long raven hair over her shoulder with a gloved hand which she laid on Fred's shoulder.

"Won't you come sit with us, Fred?" She asked batting her eyelashes.

"Oh…uhm…I was planning on riding with this lot," he said jerking his thumb towards the waiting trio.

"You'll be with them all holiday," she whined. "Come on, Freddie. We won't get to spend any time together for the next two weeks."

Fred glanced back at his friends. Haley raised a thin eyebrow at him as if daring him to leave with Angelina. George nodded and gave him a subtle thumbs-up. Fred's hazel eyes fell on Kaydy, whose chocolate eyes smoldered as she glared at the fifth year scum. Feeling his gaze on her, she softened her expression and turned to look down at him with a blank stare. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking permission. She tore her eyes away from his without a word and sat down in the vacant seat beside Haley, leaving Fred to follow his heart's desire.

"Right, then," Fred said rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll just see you lot at the station."

Haley and George waved to him, but Kaydy stared indifferently into her lap, her lips pursed in a straight line. She glanced up, only when she heard their retreating footsteps sloshing through the snow. She glared at the back of their heads with an icy stare.


	7. Chapter 7

*****Really sorry for the wait. I work really hard on this one story, so I do hope it was worth the wait. PLEEEASE rate/review. Thanks!*****

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Seven**

Kaydy pressed her forehead against the freezing glass, watching it fog up as her hot breath collided with the frosted sheet. Haley had excused herself to the loo a moment ago, and George was nudging Kaydy's foot with the tip of his sneaker. She moved her eyes to him without lifting her head from the window, a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifting on her forehead.

"I was…uhm…hoping to speak with Haley before we arrived," he confessed.

"Right," Kaydy said, rising slowly to her feet. "I'll leave you to it, then."

"Thanks, Kaydy. Listen," he called as she slid the glass door open. "I'm not kicking you out. You're welcome to come back. I just want a few minutes alone with her…to talk about…"

"No, I understand," Kaydy forced a smile as she left the compartment.

She wandered the narrow corridor of the express aimlessly, having nobody else to sit with. Although joining Draco in his compartment where she had seen him sitting all alone was extremely tempting, Kaydy could not shake her anger, and decided to avoid him at all costs. And the Golden Trio's compartment would undoubtedly be full to maximum capacity as it normally was. She continued to walk, dragging her fingernails along the wall as she went, the rubber soles of her sneakers pounding against the floorboards.

She curiously glanced into the compartments as she passed. She smirked to herself, noticing several doors with their curtains drawn, knowing exactly what was going on behind those violet drapes, though she'd never experienced such endeavors for herself. Her eyes lazily swept over the next compartment on her left, and she found herself rooted to the carpeted floor, her knees locking as her body stiffened. Kaydy watched as long, manicured fingers knotted themselves in the auburn hair Kaydy had grown familiar with as their lips moved skillfully in sync.

Hot tears stung her brown eyes and she bit her bottom lip as she fought the urge to collapse and she somehow managed to storm away. She burst through the door to the lavatory and clicked it locked behind her. She leaned her elbows on the cold porcelain sink and buried her miserable face in her hands, her long velvet hair fanning around her. She spent the rest of the journey feeling utterly pathetic, sobbing all alone, her steady flow of tears soaking the dark denim of her jeans.

As the train came to a screeching stop, Kaydy wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and blinked her eyes rapidly, determined to erase any redness they held. She tugged the damp sleeves of her olive shirt into her fists as she exited the lavatory with a final sniffle.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Haley cried, gripping Kaydy's thin forearms in her fingers. "I have marvelous news!"

Kaydy simply stared at her sparkling blue eyes, waiting for her to continue.

"George and I are officially a couple!" she squealed practically jumping up and down.

Kaydy smiled at her friend and watched her bounce happily.

"Finally!" Kaydy said, grinning, though it felt a little forced.

"I've got to go," she said growing sad, "my parents are right over there."

Kaydy followed her friend's finger as it pointed at a happy couple scanning the crowded platform for their beautiful daughter. Haley was a spitting image of her stunning mother, wearing the same long platinum hair and bright blue eyes. Her father, however, was a stout gruff looking man with hair of salt and pepper. He spotted his little girl first and whispered in his trophy wife's ear. The blonde woman's eyes sparkled as she waved frantically at Haley.

"I'll see you in a couple weeks," Kaydy smiled into Haley's shoulder as she was enveloped in a crushing hug.

"I'll miss you!" Haley cried, waving before turning to run to her parents. "Have fun at the Weasleys'!"

Kaydy grimaced to herself.

"Kaydy!"

She turned around, wiping the grimace off her face, replacing it with an indifferent smile. The twins walked towards her and she felt her body tense as Fred grinned down at her, completely unaware that Kaydy had witnessed his escapade behind that glass door. George threw his strong arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight to his side.

"Ready to go home?" he smiled down at her.

She nodded silently, glancing up at him for a quick second. Fred smiled again, and Kaydy tried to ignore the fire smoldering in her chest, before leading them to the barrier.

"You alright, Kaydy?" George asked in a hushed tone, ducking his head down to her ear.

She nodded again, the corner of her mouth twitching in pitiful attempt at smiling.

"You sure? Your eyes are all red and puffy," he noted.

"I'm fine. I fell asleep in the loo," she lied, spitting out the first excuse she could think of.

He nodded thoughtfully, making it clear he didn't particularly believe her, but kept his mouth shut anyway. Kaydy jogged through the barrier beneath George's wing and was instantly engulfed in a warm, loving embrace.

"Oh Kaydynce, we were so worried about you! Are you alright, dear? A bit peaky, but we'll fix that straight away," Molly Weasley gushed, holding Kaydy out at arm's length.

"I'm alright, Molly. Really," she smiled at the closest thing she had to a mother.

Molly smiled once more before turning to her identical sons, hugging them simultaneously. Arthur Weasley stepped forward, wrapping his arms affectionately around the small brunette and she smiled against his rough wool coat.

"Nice to see you up and well, Kaydy," he said, his embrace ending much faster than Molly's had. "Gave us quite a start, you did."

"Sorry, Arthur," she smiled sheepishly.

"Let's go home, shall we?" Arthur offered to the rest of the huge group gathered just outside the platform's barrier.

Kaydy and the Weasleys arrived at the Burrow shortly after, and were rushed inside by Molly. The plump woman urged them to get cleaned up and relax while she prepared dinner. Kaydy obliged, hurrying up to the attic, her designated living space while she stayed at the Burrow. She unpacked her things and showered before lying down on the lumpy cot she had grown accustomed to. The springs poking out of the fluff here and there no longer bothered her, considering she had been sleeping on this very mattress for the past nine years. She twiddled her thumbs over her growing breasts and stared up at the ceiling, sighing deeply to herself.

"They're not together, you know."

Kaydy's breath caught in her throat and she sluggishly shifted her gaze to rest on the small figure in her doorway. The small girl leaned casually on the doorframe with her slender arms locked over her own chest. She smirked at Kaydy before shaking her head slowly, her long auburn hair falling in front of her green eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Kaydy asked stupidly, returning her blank stare to the ceiling.

"My daft brother and Johnson," Ginny clarified as she entered the bedroom further, closing the door behind her. "They are not together."

"How would you know?" Kaydy muttered, untwisting her fingers to twirl a strand of hair instead.

"I know everything," Ginny said simply. "They're just fooling around. Fred's not all that interested in her."

"Interested enough to snog her the entire train ride home," Kaydy bitterly grumbled, turning her head away from Ginny.

"He's fifteen, Kaydy. He's bound to…desire certain things," Ginny replied, sounding years beyond her age.

"And what, exactly, do you know about desires, Ginevra?" Kaydy asked, suddenly very aware that a twelve year old was speaking to her in such a mature manner.

"Trust me, I know more than you think," Ginny winked as Kaydy's eyes widened.

"You'd best be behaving yourself, Ginevra Molly," Kaydy warned.

"We're not discussing _my_ behavior! We're discussing Fred's," Ginny replied, her cheeks flushing the tiniest bit.

"I'd rather not," Kaydy grumbled. "I don't care what he desires, or who he wishes to fulfill those desires with."

"Please," Ginny snorted. "Do yourself a favor, and be honest with yourself for once, Kaydynce."

"I am being honest. Why should I care what he does? I'm not his mum or his…" she broke off. "I'm only his friend. It's none of my concern who he chooses to snog."

"That doesn't mean you aren't hurt by it," Ginny replied sympathetically. "I see the way you look at him, Kaydy. Trust me, I know what jealousy feels like."

"I'm not jealous," she replied, cowering under Ginny's fiery glare.

"If his fooling around, and snogging Angelina upsets you so much, you should talk to him," Ginny suggested, rising to her feet. "Tell him how you feel."

"There's nothing to tell," Kaydy denied.

Ginny shook her head and strolled to the door, grasping the brass knob in her small hand.

"Fine then," she said defeated. "Mum says dinner's ready, by the way."

Kaydy shut her eyes as her door clicked closed. With a sigh, she pushed herself from her bed and swung her feet around until they dangled over the creaky floorboards. Her sneakers slapped against the wooden floors as she descended down the whiny stairs to the dining area. Her eyes surveyed the table and her stomach gave a dreadful lurch, noticing the only vacant seat was on Fred's left side. Kaydy willed herself to feign confidence and normalcy as she strode to the available spot and sat down gracefully, ignoring Ginny's watchful eyes.

With the endless amount of food scattered across the table, one would think they were sitting in the Great Hall for the Christmas feast. Kaydy piled some roast beef and potatoes on her plate. As her hand reached for the bowl of brown gravy, her fingers fell on someone else's, an instant spark shot up her arm as though she were electrocuted, a powerful bolt surging through her veins. She yanked her hand back to her lap and blushed violently against her will as Fred sent a lopsided smile down at her. He lifted the bowl in his fist and drizzled some of the steaming hot liquid over Kaydy's plate before doing the same to his own.

"Thanks," she mumbled, and dinner carried on quietly.

"The meal was delicious, Molly," Arthur complimented his wife.

Kaydy watched the woman's round cheeks flush slightly at his kind words before she bustled around the room, clearing the cluttered table. Kaydy smiled at how flustered the man's words had made her and she wondered if she would ever experience a love like theirs. She wondered if she'd find someone who could make her blush like that, even after years and years of marriage. Merlin, she hoped so.

"I'll help you, Molly," Kaydy offered, gathering several plates and utensils in her hands, balancing on their forearms as she followed Molly into the kitchen.

"Thank you, Kaydy," Molly smiled, her blush slowly leaving her round cheeks. "You wash, I'll dry and put away?"

Kaydy nodded at the suggestion and rolled up her green sleeves to her bony elbows. Her hands plummeted into the soapy water and she began scrubbing the dishes clean, one by one. She handed the clean ones to Molly, who dried them and sent them soaring into their respective cupboards. From behind her, Kaydy heard the twins enter the room, their booming laughter bouncing off the walls. George just barely dodged a goblet soaring towards his head on its way to its home, and Fred laughed loudly as he leaned his weight on the counter beside the sink.

Kaydy felt his warm eyes on her and she refused to meet his stare and, instead, focused on the bubbles floating along the surface of the water. George randomly pecked the side of his mother's face before leaping up the stairs to his bedroom. Molly smiled at the unexpected affection from her goofy son and turned to Kaydy.

"You can just leave the rest in the rack over here, I'll get to them later," she instructed, releasing the knot of her apron.

"Of course, go relax, Molly," Kaydy's soft voice encouraged.

Molly hung the dirtied apron on a nearby hook and left the room to sit with her husband on the large sofa. Fred's eyes trailed along Kaydy's body while she completely ignored his presence, taking in her maturing appearance. He recalled the first day of term, the train ride to school, when he first noticed her developments: the new curves of her hips, the narrow dip in her waist, the fullness of her chest. Only a few months had passed, but Fred swore Kaydy's body had continued to change at a rapid pace. The way her dark denim jeans hugged her wide hips and round rear was intoxicating, almost as much so as the way the thin fabric of her shirt clung to her waist, rising up to reveal a thin strip of her abdomen, all remnants of her summer tan faded away, leaving her skin its natural creamy color that Fred loved so much.

As if in a trance, Fred removed his weight from the counter top and stood dangerously close behind her, longing to reach out and run his fingers along the dramatic curves of her body. He stepped even closer, his front mere centimeters from her backside, as he towered over her and watched her busy hands over her shoulder. Kaydy tried to ignore him, pretending to be oblivious to their close proximity, but she could feel his warm breath on her shoulder, blowing thin strands of her silky hair into her face. His sweet scent floated all around her, contaminating the air she was breathing.

"Why don't you come upstairs with me," he suggested, his voice low and rough.

Kaydy had never heard such a lustful tone, let alone coming from Fred. The hunger in his deep voice sounded strange to her. Strange, but enticing all the same. She blinked her eyes rapidly, desperately trying to remember that she was upset with Fred and did not wish to speak with him anytime soon. But as his strong, thick fingers trailed along the slope of her waist, slithering to her stomach, any trace of fury she had felt vanished. She gasped as his fingertips, calloused from years of quidditch, dragged along the exposed bit of flesh above the waistline of her jeans and her hands clumsily fumbled in the sink.

A soft yelp escaped her lips and she ripped her hands from the water, clutching her left inside her right. Startled, Fred stepped away from her, the enchantment seemingly broken. A thin line of blood dripped down her wrist as she clung to her hand. Fred's eyes widened and he reached for her injured palm, examining the smooth abrasion in the flesh. It didn't look too bad, but he called for his mother nonetheless.

"Kaydy, dear, come sit," Molly urged, as Fred ushered Kaydy to a nearby chair. "We'll fix that up in no time."

"It's just a scrape, really," Kaydy argued as Molly approached her with her wand. "Believe me, I've had worse."

Molly ignored her and shooed Fred's frazzled hand away, allowing her to perform the proper healing spell. Within seconds, Kaydy's wound was cleaned and sealed and she could only feel a slight sting in her palm.

"How did you cut yourself, Kaydy?" Molly inquired, examining her work closely.

Kaydy's eyes flashed towards Fred who stared back at her with wide, shameful eyes.

"You know how clumsy I am," she forced a laugh, pushing her waist length hair away from her face.

Molly shook her head, a slight smile on her thin lips, before she patted the back of Kaydy's smooth hand.

"Go on upstairs, I'll take care of the dishes in the morning," Molly dismissed despite Kaydy's protests.

Kaydy walked slowly up the winding stairs, Fred hot on her tail. She was about to pass the twins' bedroom when Fred's long fingers wrapped around her wrist to tug her inside with him. She fought his grip for a moment, satisfied by the sudden hurt that flashed in his eyes, before submitting to him and following him into his bedroom.

"Where have you two been?" Ron asked, raising an orange eyebrow at his older brother from his spot on the floor.

"I was helping with the dishes," Kaydy replied, plopping down on George's bed, kicking her sneakers off.

"I was watching," Fred smirked honestly.

Ron snorted and returned his attention back to the game of wizard's chess he was playing against George. Fred sat down on his bed across from Kaydy and laid on his back, his hazel eyes staring at the crimson canopy over his bed. Kaydy surveyed their bedroom, happy when she did not see any panty-clad witches dancing along the walls. Fred had several photographs stuck to the wall beside his dresser, mostly of him and George and Kaydy. George's dresser, extremely cluttered with papers and splattered ink, had its drawers wide open, articles of clothing poking out here and there. She returned her gaze to the two gingers on the floor before she felt a thoughtful set of eyes on her. Fred, propped up on his strong forearms, stared intently at her from across the room. Their eyes met for a moment before Kaydy's fell back to the Weasleys on the floor. She did her best to ignore the creaking springs of the mattress as it sunk beneath Fred's weight.

Kaydy twisted the silver band around her index finger, pursing her lips together. She wanted so desperately to forgive Fred, hug him and laugh with him like they had since they were five year olds. But the crippling ache in her chest that throbbed every time she pictured Fred with Angelina hurt too much to ignore. She could not erase the encounter from her memory. The way her slender chocolate fingers tugged at his luscious locks, or how his strong hands roamed the curves of her body hungrily.

Warm fingers wrapped around her bicep, and Kaydy felt herself being tugged to lie on her back. Fred released his grip on her arm once her back was flat against the bed beside him. Her thick coffee-colored hair fanned out across the warm blanket, its vanilla scent tangling itself in the fabric. She hesitated before turning her head to look at Fred and found him already watching her face intently. She chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering what was going on inside his head, and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. With a sigh and a soft smile, Fred turned his head again, his nose pointing at the canopy and closed his eyes. Kaydy breathed silently and did the same, allowing her eyes to flutter shut as she felt the warm skin of Fred's forearm press against her own, pushing away her anger for the time being.

"This is all very sweet, but I'd like my bed back, please."

Kaydy peaked through her thick eyelashes, sticky with mascara, finding herself tucked between a strong arm and a sturdy body. George and Ron snickered, their rust colored eyebrows raised on their freckled foreheads, and Kaydy shot away from Fred's warm embrace. The ginger woke with a start and pressed his fists into his tired eyes.

"You two are absolutely adorable," Ron snorted.

"Yes, very touching, but I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight," George smirked, kicking the toe of his brother's sneaker.

Fred grumbled and propped himself up on his forearms. His eyes raked over Kaydy's body as she rocked her weight from side to side, tugging her shirt towards her hips. She ran her fingers through her hair, her long locks falling over her shoulder, revealing her reddening cheek. He smirked to himself, a wave of accomplishment flowing through him as he watched her try, and ultimately fail, to appear casual. She tucked her hands into her back pockets, giving Fred a much appreciated excuse to glance at her rear, before bouncing uncomfortably on the toe of her sneakers.

"Right," Kaydy said awkwardly. "I'm just going to…uh…go to bed, then."

"Night," George and Ron called, a slight tone of mockery creeping into their deep voices.

"Night, love," Fred said quietly, though she had already left his room.

Kaydy awoke early the next morning, the orange sun barely peaking over the horizon, lighting the indigo sky the slightest bit. She pulled herself out of bed, sliding her socked feet over the wooden floor until she reached the lone window of the attic, leaning her weight on the windowsill. She locked her slender arms around her torso, hugging her bathrobe tight to her body as she gazed through the sparkling clean glass. A thick sheet of snow covered the backyard and countless more flakes fell from the sky, landing on top of the heaps.

Kaydy stifled a yawn and ran a sleepy hand through her tangled hair. She assumed she was the only one awake so early in the morning, and she took it upon herself to begin preparing breakfast for the family. After rummaging through the cupboards, Kaydy began mixing the ingredients with a skillful hand, adding just the right touch of different spices and seasonings. Stirred by the delicious aroma floating throughout the Burrow, the Weasley clan slowly trickled into the kitchen, their mouths watering at the meal Kaydy was preparing. Molly immediately took to assisting Kaydy, gushing over how lovely and grown up she was becoming as the girl effortlessly flipped a pancake from the skillet, adding it to the growing golden stack on a porcelain platter.

Arthur sat at the table, flipping through the daily prophet, his eyes scanning the moving pages idly as he sipped his morning tea. Ginny soon trudged down the stairs, her long hair pulled back in a braid, slightly messy from her sleep. Molly put her daughter to work right away instructing Ginny to set the table for breakfast, ignoring the twelve year old's disgruntled muttering. Kaydy smirked at Ginny's crankiness and continued flipping pancakes and stirring the fluffy yellow eggs around their respective pan.

"Kaydy, dear, I can take it from here. Why don't you go upstairs and wake the twins," Molly dismissed, taking the spatula from Kaydy's reluctant fist.

Before she could decline, Molly gently shoved her in the direction of the twisting staircase, ignoring Ginny's devious smirk as she went. Kaydy knocked on their bedroom door, awaiting a response she anticipated she would not receive, and entered the dark room cautiously. Her eyes struggled to see through the blackness and she slowly tiptoed across the floor, careful to avoid the random cauldron and parchment, no doubt holding notes pertaining to their mischievous products and inventions. She rolled her caramel eyes at their carelessness and bent down to gather the scattered records, storing them inside one of the boys' desk drawers, safe from Molly's curious eyes.

"George, get up," Kaydy whispered, shaking her friend's shoulder.

He opened one hazel eye just a crack and groaned in response. Kaydy smiled down at him as he propped himself up on his elbows before swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. Kaydy patted his fleece clad thigh before moving closer to his twin's bed, hoping awaking him would be as simple as it had been with George. She glanced down at him, able to see the sparse freckles scattered across his pale cheeks now that her eyes had adjusted to the dark. She was only vaguely aware of the faint click of the door closing behind George as he headed to meet his family downstairs for breakfast, and Kaydy brushed her fingers lightly over Fred's forehead, pushing his rusty hair away from his shut eyes.

While she watched him sleep, she could not find it within her to be angry with him. Perhaps it was because, with his eyes closed, she could not see the smug look that would sweep over his entire face whenever he caught her blushing, or the lust that hooded his eyes whenever Angelina's skin came in contact with his. However, she could not erase the painful memories no matter how hard she tried.

"Up," she growled, shoving his shoulder roughly.

He did not stir and she shook him again, digging her fingertips into the exposed skin of his shoulder. She had not noticed that he was sleeping shirtless, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She loosened her grip on him and delicately trailed her fingers down to his muscular bicep. She inhaled an uneven breath, suffering from the whiplash brought on by her own mood-swings, and stroked his cheek.

"Fred, it's time to wake up," she whispered, her lips close to his ear.

He stirred slightly, slowly bringing his hand towards his ear, laying his hot palm against Kaydy's cheek. His eyes fluttered open, danced over her beautiful face, determined to remember every detail, like the way her eyes widened slightly at his touch, or how she sucked her bottom lip slightly between her teeth, or the smooth waves framing her face, sweeping ever so slightly against his bare chest. She felt her cheeks heating beneath his palm and an odd laugh slipped between her lips as she backed away from him.

"It's…uh…time for breakfast," she stuttered stupidly.

She stood completely straight, looking anywhere but his curious eyes, and pushed her fingers nervously through her hair. She fiddled with the ribbon-like bow of her ruby robe before placing her hands awkwardly on her hips. Fred watched her closely, her discomfort apparent, and he gently took her fingers in his, pulling her towards his laying body. She kinked her eyebrows in confusion until her thigh hit his mattress, and he ushered her to sit beside him, her hip pressing into his hard stomach.

"Come on, Fred, the others are expecting us," she said softly, goose-bumps rising to her flesh as he draped his arm around her, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her bicep.

"Just stay with me a while longer," he whispered. "We never spend time alone together anymore."

Her eyes fell to her lap, the obvious reason why they never had time together pushing its way to the front of her mind. She was reminded of their hands curious traveling each other's bodies, and Kaydy bit back the urge to spit a nasty response at him. Instead, she glared at the sliver of mattress visible between them.

"Something's changed," he mumbled, his eyes still focused intently on Kaydy.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes in irritation. She turned her head to look into his wondering eyes and shook her head slowly as she rushed to her feet.

"Everything has changed."


	8. Chapter 8

*****Thanks for reading! Need feedback and opinions. I'm really interested to know what you guys think about the relationships I've begun developing. So review! And enjoy!*****

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Eight**

Kaydy feverishly fastened the buttons of her coat, tucking her Gryffindor scarf beneath the black wool, and stomped down the stairs. She had fled from Fred's bedroom mere minutes ago and hastily dressed herself in dark jeans and a plain white t-shirt beneath her heavy coat. She stormed through the kitchen, headed for the backdoor, her long hair floating behind her.

"Kaydy, where are you going?" Ginny called.

"Out," Kaydy replied simply, moving around the countless seats.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, sweetheart," Molly objected.

"I'm not hungry," she stated, knowing she'd feel guilty later for speaking so harshly to Molly.

Without another word, Kaydy exited the Burrow, her booted feet clambering through inches of snow. A bitter breeze blew her hair around her face, stinging her eyes as she walked further and further away from the happy family's home. She buried her trembling hands deep within her silk-lined pockets as she weaved meticulously through the woods.

She was beginning to regret coming to the Burrow for the holiday. This was not how she predicted she would be spending Christmas Eve, wandering alone through the woods. At the moment, Kaydy regretted having not taken Haley up on her offer to join her in Paris. She even found herself wishing she had remained at Hogwarts where she could spend her holiday with Remus, at the very least.

Reaching her subconscious destination, Kaydy sighed as she brushed her hand over a large boulder, ridding it of the cold white flakes. She sat down and stared blankly at the frozen lake stretched out before her. She and the twins used to come to that very lake every day when they were younger, having truly believed that they were the only ones who knew about the beautiful pond. They honestly thought that they were the only ones who walked along the shore picking up pretty rocks and strange little creatures. It was their secret place and Kaydy found herself seeking comfort from it.

Footsteps fell heavily behind her, snow crunching beneath bulky boots. Kaydy felt her eyes narrow and her lips pulled themselves into a tight line. Her fingers curled into fists and she wrapped her arms around her knees as she drew them to her chest.

"I don't want to talk to you, Fred," she growled, keeping her glare on the lake.

"Guess it's a good thing I'm not Fred then, eh?"

Kaydy turned her softened gaze to the boy approaching her and flashed an apologetic smile his way.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I thought you were-"

"Fred," he replied simply, "obviously."

"Right…"

"What happened back there, Kaydy?" the boy asked, positioning himself beside her.

"I'm just beginning to realize how different things are becoming," she replied.

"With Fred, you mean?" he asked, blowing warm air onto his cold hands.

"With everyone," she replied, "Fred, and George, and Haley. Even you, Harry."

He watched her from behind his round glasses, waiting for her to continue. She met his worried eyes and frowned.

"Friendships I thought to be invincible are slowly deteriorating right before my eyes, Harry," she confessed sadly. "I don't know if it's something that normally happens around this age, or if it's them, or me, but I hate it. I don't want to feel this way."

Harry rubbed her denim-covered thigh soothingly, encouraging her to continue her speaking.

"George and Haley have got each other, now. It won't be long before they grow distant, and then what am I to do?" Kaydy asked, her voice trembling.

"I thought you wanted George and Haley to get together," Harry said carefully.

"I do! I'm thrilled for them, don't get me wrong," Kaydy stammered, trying to find the proper words. "I just…I don't want to be left in the dust."

"They're your best friends, Kaydy. They always will be, you must know that," he reasoned.

"I hope so," Kaydy mumbled. "I love Haley, and I'm glad she's a part of our little group now. But I can't help but miss it being just me and the twins. I miss spending time with just the two of them."

"The two of them? Or Fred?" Harry asked, smirking wisely.

"Piss off," Kaydy muttered. "I miss them both. The only difference is I approve of who George is giving his time to. Fred, on the other hand, is disgustingly captivated by Johnson, and I do not support that."

"George will always have time for you, Kaydy. And so will Fred," Harry responded. "Don't tell me you're daft enough to believe that either one of them would abandon you for anybody else in the entire world."

Kaydy grunted in response, shrugging her shoulders heavily.

"And as for Fred and Angelina…" Harry trailed off.

Kaydy's harsh glare returned as she turned to stare at the frost covered water once more. Her chocolate eyes smoldered as she watched a doe in the distance, scraping its hoof against the frozen lake. She clenched her jaw and wrapped her arms tighter around her knees.

"They won't last, Kaydy," he tried to comfort her. "She's not the one for him, and I think we all know that."

"What do you mean?" she asked glumly.

"He's not in love with her, and he never will be," he said confidently.

"How can you be so certain of that?" she asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"Because," he replied, turning to smile at her. "She isn't you, Kaydynce."

Kaydy remained silent, her anger fading slowly. Part of her wanted so desperately to believe Harry's comforting words, but the other portion refused to, fearing that she would be incredibly disappointed if he were wrong. She inhaled a deep breath, sending crisp air through her nostrils, chilling her insides slightly.

"Now, what about me?" he asked, changing the subject as he nudged her gently with his bony elbow.

"Harry," she began quietly, "you have a killer after you."

"Right," he snorted. "It's a new catastrophe each year with me, eh?"

"I admit, it is quite difficult to look after you when you're served new death sentences every year, Harry," she laughed lightly, watching a sheepish smile grace the boy's lips.

She took a moment to examine the thirteen year old, something she hadn't done in quite some time. His emerald eyes seemed distant and somewhat tired as his smile fell from his lips. His unruly black hair stuck up in random places and he absentmindedly ran his fingers through the thick locks, screwing them up even more.

"How have you been doing, Harry?" she asked, watching his expression become mildly surprised before turning somewhat sad.

"Alright, I suppose," he mumbled. "Still a bit shaken up after the Boggart lesson."

"I would be too if my Boggart was a Dementor," Kaydy replied, an eerie shiver creeping up her spine.

"What was yours?" Harry asked curiously.

"A full moon," Kaydy whispered, rubbing her hands together in an effort to keep them from going numb.

"A full moon? How odd. What's that about?" Harry urged.

"Dunno," Kaydy lied shrugging her shoulders, "Probably because I'm afraid of the dark."

Harry snorted and Kaydy rolled her eyes at his amusement, finding herself relieved that her believed her so easily.

"I want to learn to defend myself against Dementors," Harry's deep voice blurted out.

"That's wonderful, Harry," she smiled.

"Yeah, Lupin said he'd help me practice once we get back to school," he confessed.

"Remus really cares for you, Harry," she said. "Probably almost as much as I do, actually. He was close with your parents, from what he's told me. I think he feels like he owes it to them to look after you."

Harry nodded thoughtfully before turning to grin at Kaydy. He threw his arms around her shoulders and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. She unlatched her fingers, releasing her knees before wrapping her arms around him, too.

"You're the best big sister I could ever have," he admitted.

Kaydy smiled into his shoulder and lovingly stroked his shaggy hair.

"Now, would you mind coming back inside with me? I don't particularly fancy catching frostbite," he smiled hopefully.

Kaydy chuckled and grasped his hand, allowing him to lead her back to the Burrow.

"Kaydy, come on," Ginny called, banging her fist on Kaydy's door, "Bill's home!"

Kaydy smiled at her reflection, her glossy lips parting slightly. She tousled her beautiful curls a bit, separating the lengthy ribbons slightly. She batted her long black lashes and adjusted the small silver locket dangling down her cleavage before rising to her feet. Her heeled black shoes clicked against the wood as she descended the staircase, her fingers trailing along the railing delicately.

"Whoa," she heard Harry's voice.

"What the bloody hell is she wearing?" Ron's voice cracked slightly, and Kaydy smirked in his direction.

"Kaydy, you look incredible!" Ginny gushed, grinning as her eyes scanned Kaydy's marvelous body.

Kaydy ran her hands over the emerald velvet wrapped tight to her body, falling just below her mid-thigh. The creamy skin of her arms was slightly exposed beneath the sheer lace sleeves of green, and she struck a dramatic pose while Ginny admired her form.

"You look lovely, too, Gin," Kaydy said honestly.

Ginny wore a red dress that hugged her torso closely and flared out around her thighs. The chiffon fabric of her outfit fell a few inches above her knees and she, too, wore healed black shoes. Her long hair was pulled back into a neat French twist, and tiny diamond earrings poked through her earlobes.

"My brothers are gawking, by the way," Ginny whispered smugly.

"Good," Kaydy winked jokingly.

"Kaydy?"

She turned away from Ginny, her eyes falling on a stout man with shoulder length red hair. He struggled to stop his eyes from scanning her body as she turned to face him full on. A grin formed on her lips and she leapt girlishly into his arms.

"Bill!" she cried, his arms holding her to his body. "I've missed you! It's been way too long."

"You're telling me," he said, pulling her away from him slightly. "You're certainly growing up, young lady."

Kaydy blushed slightly, fighting the urge to tug her dress further towards her knees. She stepped out of his embrace and smiled up at Bill Weasley, the one Weasley she looked at as an older brother.

"As stunning as you look, I can't say I approve of my little sister dressing like a young woman," he said, smiling brightly as Kaydy shoved his shoulder. "Either one of you, for that matter."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her biological brother and laid her hands on her hips as she poked her tongue between her lips. Bill chuckled at the redhead and draped his arm over Kaydy's shoulders, tucking him beneath his muscular bicep.

"So which one of my brothers are you trying to tempt tonight, Kaydynce?" Bill said in her ear, a wide smirk spreading on his freckled face.

Kaydy smirked back and shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes lazily surveyed the busy den, several redheads bustling around to prepare the table for Christmas Eve dinner. Two identical sets of hazel eyes focused on her, their eyes wide as their heads bent close together, whispering quietly to each other. They leaned against the countertop while Molly sent Ron and Harry to the table, their hands filled with platters of delicious looking food.

"Must be one of the twins," Bill concluded. "And since I've been told that George is seeing someone…"

Kaydy ducked beneath his arm and strolled towards the dining table. She gracefully sat down beside Ginny, and the rest of the Weasley clan took their seats soon after. Percy sat on Kaydy's opposite side, smiling stiffly as he did so, and the twins sat between Ron and Bill directly across from Kaydy. Harry sat down beside Ginny, bright red color flooding her cheeks as he did, while Molly and Arthur sat at the heads of the table.

Arthur flicked his wand, and the ham was cut into thin slices three pieces soaring onto everyone's porcelain plate. Molly's hand twitched slightly and the large golden goblets filled with juice right before their eyes. Kaydy smiled in thanks and sipped her juice daintily before spooning a large helping of mashed potatoes on her dish.

"This meal is delicious, Molly," Kaydy praised.

"Yeah, Mum, it's absolutely wonderful," Bill agreed through a mouthful of ham.

She smiled graciously and gestured for them to continue on with their meal. Dinner carried on quietly aside from the clanking and scraping of silverware against dishes and the occasional small talk between Bill and his family. Kaydy and Harry remained quiet, and Kaydy half-smiled understandingly in his direction. Despite how welcoming the Weasleys had been, inviting them into their family, Kaydy and Harry couldn't help but feel out of place in moments like these.

"He can't take his eyes off you, you know," Ginny whispered, her smooth voice nearly inaudible as she leaned into Kaydy's silky hair.

Kaydy fought the color rushing to her cheeks and rose to her feet as the others had begun to do. Ginny and Bill aided Molly in clearing the table while their siblings headed upstairs to their bedrooms for the night. Kaydy trailed behind Ron and Harry, bidding them a quiet goodnight once they reached Ron's room. She continued to the attic, her heels tapping the floorboards with a steady rhythm.

"Kaydy."

She turned her head, her fingertips resting on the brass doorknob. She was nervous standing in his presence, but she hid it well, smiling carefully.

"Yes?" she asked, leaning against the closed door, slightly stretching her smooth leg out.

"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked, tucking his hands inside the back pockets of his black dress pants.

"Sure," she replied after a brief moment of silence.

Kaydy opened her door and stepped inside her bedroom, Fred following close behind, shutting it with a soft click. Fred watched her closely, his eyes scanning her body for the hundredth time that night. He found himself admiring her beauty beneath the moon, its white light bouncing off her long hair. He stared until she turned to face him with curious eyes, and he was suddenly extremely interested in his shoes.

"So…what did you want to talk about?" she asked awkwardly as she swayed her weight from side to side.

"You look stunning," he blurted out, unable to stop the words from slipping between his lips.

Kaydy smiled and nodded in appreciation, raising her eyebrow slightly. She watched Fred bounce awkwardly on the balls of his feet, stuffing his large hands into his pockets. She cleared her throat quietly and when he drew his eyes back to hers, she raised both eyebrows in an expectant manner.

"Is that all you wished to talk about?" she asked coolly.

"No. I wanted to talk about… what you said this morning," Fred began.

"Forget it," she cut him off sharply, waving her hand in front of her face, the glitter on her black nails catching the moonlight.

"Kaydy, I really think we ought to discuss-"

"Fred," she shouted harshly. "I said forget it. It doesn't matter, just leave it alone."

"It doesn't matter that you feel…well, the way you feel," he stumbled over his tongue.

"No, it doesn't," Kaydy replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter that 'everything has changed?' I'm supposed to just accept that you feel that way?" he asked, the volume of his deep voice increasing slightly.

"Considering you obviously hadn't noticed, I don't think it would be that difficult to accept, Fred," Kaydy growled.

"Is this about George and Haley? 'Cause if it is-" Kaydy cut him off with a loud scoff.

"George and Haley? You honestly think I'm upset about George and Haley? I couldn't give a rat's ass about them being together! You're even more daft than I ever imagined," she cried, throwing her hands in the air.

"Then what is it, Kaydynce? Did I do something?" Fred shouted, his eyes searching her face for answers he knew she'd never speak.

"If you even have to ask me that…forget it," she broke off.

"Look," Fred spoke, striding towards her. "I don't know what I did to upset you, but I'm sorry, I guess."

"Just stop!" Kaydy cried, running both hands through her beautiful locks. "If you don't even know what you're sorry for, I don't need your bloody apology, Fred."

"I don't know what I did!" he yelled in exasperation. "I've barely even spoken to you in ages!"

"Maybe that's the problem!" Kaydy shouted, her voice echoing around the room, shaking the thin walls.

Fred watched her carefully, extremely aware of the storm brewing in her smoldering eyes. He racked his brain for the last time he had truly devoted his time and attention to Kaydy, the girl he once called his best friend. He was ashamed when he couldn't recall one. He massaged his jaw with this thumb and index finger, trying his best to formulate a sufficient sentence. He caught Kaydy run her finger beneath her eyes, drying a fallen tear before it could stain her cheek.

"Kaydynce-"

"Don't," she interrupted. "Don't try to apologize now."

"What am I to do, then? Carry on the way we have been?" he asked, his voice raising in pitch. "Tell me, Kaydynce, what am I supposed to do?"

"Why don't you take a moment to think about your actions? Reflect on how they impact others, or how they impact me. Perhaps pull your head out of your own ass long enough to think about somebody else for once," she cried, angry tears finally falling from her eyes.

Fred gawked, evidently taken aback by her sudden outburst, and pushed his fingers through his ginger hair. He ran his hand down his face in frustration, holding his jaw inside his palm. He shook his head, furious with her words. Or maybe with his thoughts, he was not entirely sure which.

Kaydy glowered at him, her swollen breasts rising and falling heavily as she practically panted in rage. She wondered why he had even bothered to come and talk about things if he had no idea what the issue was. Then again, maybe that was her own fault. But Kaydy, stubborn as a bull, refused to believe that and glared at her so-called best friend.

"I'd like for you to leave," she mumbled, laying her hands on her hips, avoiding his hurt stare as she spoke.

"What?" he breathed, gazing down at her, hoping he had only imagined the words leave her beautiful plump lips.

"I'd like for you to leave," Kaydy repeated, bowing her head, a curtain of caramel falling in front of her face.

"Kaydy," he pleaded, reaching out to stroke her arm.

"Please," she whispered, cutting him off and turning her back on him. "Leave."

His thick eyebrows crinkled as he watched her standing beneath the light of the moon, stroking her arms as if she were feeling cold. Fred yearned to touch her, to hold her, and to fix everything that seemed to be falling apart. After another moment or two, Fred realized Kaydy would not turn around and come back to him, not this time. With a throbbing ache in his chest, he turned away from her and granted her wish.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Kaydy nearly leapt out of her skin, and peaked over the top of her trunk, narrowing her eyes at the intruder before returning her attention to her drawers. Her brown hair, that had been styled into smooth ribbons moments ago, tickled her neck as the loose spirals drizzled down from her sloppy ponytail. Her fingers frantically fumbled as she continued to hastily stuff her belongings inside her luggage.

"Kaydynce," Bill spoke, his tone one of warning, as he walked quietly into the attic. "You aren't leaving."

"I can't stay here anymore, Bill," she argued.

"Why not?" he asked sadly.

"I just want to go home," she replied pitifully as she pushed her bangs out of her misty eyes.

"You are home, Kaydy," Bill whispered, catching her hands in his fists. "You can't leave before Christmas morning."

"I don't belong here, Bill, not now," she cried. "I want to be back at Hogwarts… with Remus."

"I can't truly say I understand why you suddenly feel this way," he sighed loudly. "But at least wait until after breakfast. Mum will be crushed if you're not here to open your ghastly sweater with the rest of us."

Tears spilled from Kaydy's eyes and she shook her head slowly. She wasn't sure she could stomach breakfast with the Weasleys now that her friendship with Fred was officially in ruins. She didn't think she could manage to exchange gifts with a cheerful smile on her face while in his presence. Her eyes subconsciously fell on the crimson square stationed on the floor beneath her bed, and she silently wondered if she should still bother presenting it to him.

"You don't understand," she wept, pressing her palms against her forehead.

"Then help me to understand, Kaydynce," he urged through his teeth.

She cried harder, the sob getting caught in her throat and she choked on them, coughing violently. Her body rocked with her cries and it didn't take long for Bill to envelope her in his strong embrace. She buried her blotchy face in his t-shirt clad chest, clutching the thin fabric in her fists. She tried to formulate words, but nothing coherent could pass through her frowning lips as she hiccupped loudly.

"What happened, little sister?" Bill pleaded, his voice trembling with worry.

Kaydy couldn't blame him for using such a tone, considering she had never broken down so badly before, nor had she ever let anyone see her in such a vulnerable state. Kaydy had always portrayed herself as strong and unbreakable, and she did so purposely. Simply because she knew, herself, that she was truly fragile and weak. All the nights she had followed Remus, coming home and crawling into her bed, broken and bruised. She would cry herself to sleep every single night, but upon Remus' return, she'd be on her feet with her head held high, wearing a mask of strength she had worked very hard to produce.

But as she sat cradled in Bill Weasley's strong arms, Kaydy watched the image she had created for herself crumble to pieces. For a moment, she felt unbelievably frustrated with herself for tarnishing Bill's idea of her, but the anguish in her heart trumped her anger and she cried some more. Bill cooed soft nothings in her ear and she sniffled, apparently running out of tears to shed.

"It's over," she whispered.

"What is?" he asked after she said no more.

She shook her head, and a numbness she had grown familiar with swept over her, forcing her into silence. Bill seemed to sense that Kaydy was not going to speak anymore. She had evidently decided she had let him in far enough, far more than she ever intended, and he had no choice but to accept her silence.

"I'll escort you back to school after breakfast if you still wish to leave in the morning, Kaydy," Bill promised.

Kaydy considered his offer for a moment before nodding slowly. Bill smiled crookedly down at her and gently helped her to her feet. He hugged her to his chest, and she slipped her exposed arms around his waist, allowing him to provide some sort of comfort that she so desperately needed.

"Come on, off to bed with you," he whispered in her ear.

He released his grip and watched her climb into bed before tucking her blankets securely around her. Bill stroked her damp cheeks with the back of his large hand, drying the remnants of her sorrows, and placed a brotherly kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, Kaydynce," he whispered as he retreated from her bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

*****Sorry for the wait! Review!*****

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Nine**

Kaydy crinkled her eyes tightly, her eyelids glowing red as the blinding yellow sun fell upon them. She rolled away from the window, turning her back on the sunlight bouncing off a thick sheet of white snow and sniffled loudly. She rubbed her eyes in a circular motion with her fists, ridding them of the remnants of restless sleep. Judging back the noiselessness, Kaydy assumed the rest of the house was still sound asleep. She, however, trudged out of bed and into the adjoined bathroom.

Twisting the knob on the white tile wall, Kaydy started up a hot shower before stripping her clothes from her body. She caught a glimpse at her face in the round mirror above the porcelain sink and stared a while longer. Her eyes were bloodshot, bringing out the subtle hints of green and gold in them, and the lids surrounding them swelled in ugly red puffs. Her full lips were a pale pink and very chapped having had to resort to breathing through her mouth after her intense sobbing session the night before. She ran her hands over her face and pulled her hair free from its elastic restraint, her frizzy curls tangled together as they fell past her naked shoulders.

She took her time soaking beneath the steady stream of water, hoping to wash away the pain that continued to smother her. Although she felt them bubbling behind her eyeballs, the tears did not come. Kaydy fought hard to keep them at bay. At least until she returned to Hogwarts and was in her dorm, snuggled into her bed, all alone.

About an hour later, a firm knock on her door drew her attention and Kaydy placed her eyeliner on the countertop. Her breath lodged in her throat, disabling her from calling out to the visitor. The round knob twisted slowly and a redheaded man stepped inside her bedroom, his eyes scanning the room for Kaydy. She released her breath and continued prepping herself for the exhausting morning that was ahead.

"Thought you fled for a moment there," Bill said, leaning his weight on the wooden doorframe.

Kaydy smirked half-heartedly and focused all of her attention as she ran her hands over her wet hair, drying it by magic into effortless waves. She glanced at Bill's reflection in the mirror nodding in approval, mildly impressed by her non-verbal magic.

"Lupin's been teaching you, huh?" Bill smiled.

"Would you expect anything less?" Kaydy joked, and Bill grinned.

"Glad to see you're back to normal," his smile faded as Kaydy's dropped. "At least somewhat."

Kaydy shrugged, brushing past him to exit the bathroom. She adjusted her white sweater further down her waist and tugged the sleeves into her fists as she locked her arms over her torso. Her eyes darted around her room, looking for any excuse at all to delay her from joining the rest of the Weasleys downstairs.

"They're probably waiting on us, you know," Bill voiced her thoughts.

She nodded in defeat and followed Bill out of her bedroom. Cheerful caroling and joyous laughter filled her ears as she descended the narrow staircase. She watched from the landing as Bill greeted his family members with hearty hugs and gentle kisses. Kaydy wondered how she'd manage to get through gift giving with a smile on her face.

"Happy Christmas, Kaydy," Harry said happily as he wrapped his arms around her entire body.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," she echoed, squeezing him tight.

"Come sit with me, I saved you a seat," he said, ushering her to a nearby couch.

She forced a bright smile while the rest of the redheads wished her a happy holiday. Although she felt Fred's penetrating stare on her, she refused to even glance his way. Before long, Kaydy found herself practically buried beneath an abundance of neatly wrapped gifts. Her smile became more and more effortless as the morning progressed and she watched the others beam as they opened their gifts as well. Between the tearing of colorful paper and gasps of wonder, many thank yous were heard accompanied by intimate laughter and Kaydy felt a little more at ease by Harry's side.

Kaydy thanked everyone individually: Molly for the traditional sweater; Arthur for a muggle hair curler; George for a year supply of sweets from Honeydukes; Ron for a Zonko's gift card; Ginny for a beautiful lavender sundress to wear in the upcoming Spring; and Harry for one half of a pair of walky-talky's. She was left with one single box in her lap, its violet wrappings still intact, silver bow and all. She knew who it was from and, although her curiosity was pressuring her to open the palm-sized gift, Kaydy refused. Instead, she took the little box, along with her other gifts, and retreated to the attic.

Kaydy stuffed her gifts inside her trunk before shrinking it down and slipping it inside the deep pocket of her long black coat. She clutched the wood of a borrowed broom within her fist and took a final glance around the attic bedroom. With a sad smile, Kaydy hopped on the broom and darted out the window, heading back to her true home.

"I hope everyone's hungry," Molly grinned brilliantly, ushering her family into the small eating area. "Fred, George, one of you go get Kaydy for breakfast."

"I'll go, mate," Fred offered, seizing the opportunity to catch Kaydy alone.

The night before, she had made it clear that she did not wish to see, or speak to Fred anymore, but he couldn't help but feel that they had not finished their conversation. He could not bring himself to admit that their friendship was truly over, no matter how hard he tried to accept it last night. As he walked up the staircase, he rehearsed all the things he needed to say, all the words he wanted to tell her. But as his pale knuckles tapped on the attic door, he was met with silence. He called her name softly before entering the bedroom without invitation.

"Kaydy? Time for breakfast," he said carefully.

His hazel eyes surveyed the bedroom. He was confused to find no trace that Kaydy had ever even been there. The posters she had stuck on the walls years ago were gone, along with the photographs she had placed on the nightstand. Fred's eyes fell on a scarlet box placed on the center of the cot. He reached for it and sat heavily on the neat bedspread, reading the elegant writing on the tag.

"She's gone isn't she?"

Fred jumped to his feet and tossed the box back on the bed before turning to face his brother. He stammered nervously, tucking his hands into the pockets of his forest green hoodie.

"Relax, little brother. It's for you, isn't it?" Bill asked, stepping further into the room.

Fred glanced at the rectangle and nodded slowly. Bill lifted the box in his hand, turning it over a couple of times before thrusting it into Fred's palms.

"How did you know she'd left?" Fred asked curiously, turning the box himself.

"She said she would last night," Bill replied. "I found her packing her things around midnight. She was really upset about something, but she couldn't seem to get out what was wrong, what with her sobbing and choking."

"Sobbing?" Fred repeated Bill's words guiltily.

"Yeah. She just kept on saying, 'It's over,'" Bill said, shrugging his shoulders.

Bill watched his brother closely, easily noticing the guilt in his eyes despite the anger on his face.

"Did something happen between you two?" Bill inquired.

"She says everything's changed between us, but I don't know how that happened, let alone how to fix it. She has no right to cry to you, or anyone else for that matter. She's the one who ended our relationship, she's the one who told me to leave her alone last night. And she's the one who left today without a single word," Fred yelled, pacing back and forth angrily.

"That doesn't sound like Kaydy to me," Bill mumbled, his eyes remaining on Fred.

"You're telling me. I don't even know who she is anymore," Fred cried.

"Maybe that's the problem, then," Bill concluded.

"What?" Fred asked, raising a thick eyebrow.

"Perhaps, with age and time, you two have drifted apart. Judging by how upset she was, I'd say she must have been feeling this way for a while now. I don't know if she ever tried to bring it to your attention or remedy the situation, but these feelings must have been festering for a long time for her to break down like that," Bill explained. "I've never seen her so upset in all the time I've known her."

"She should have said something sooner, then. Before it got to this point," Fred defended. "I'm not wrong for not knowing."

"You sure about that, mate?" Bill asked, thumping his brother's shoulder before leaving him to his thoughts.

"I'm not wrong," he repeated to himself.

Kaydy sat alone in the Gryffindor common room like she had for the past six days since she returned to Hogwarts. Remus, though concerned, was thrilled to see her and spend the rest of the holiday with his adopted daughter. Nonetheless, Remus needed his rest, which left Kaydy on her own until the rest of the student body returned from their homes.

She snuggled deep into the crimson cushion of the couch closest to the fireplace. She watched the flames dance behind the grate, stray sparks flying and burning about before hitting the carpet. Kaydy tucked her legs beneath her, folding them into a pretzel position, and bit her bottom lip. She fumbled the small box in her hands, its purple paper still unscathed. All this time, she couldn't bring herself to open the gift Fred had bought for her. She feared that whatever was inside the box would reflect the distance that had grown between them, and that she would finally have evidence that Fred truly had no idea who she was anymore.

She slipped the parcel deep inside the pocket of her fitted sweatshirt and continued to watch the burning logs. The portrait hole slammed open with a bang, the Fat Lady shrieking in protest at the violent entrance and Kaydy jumped slightly. She turned her head towards the common room entrance and rose steadily to her feet. Kaydy's eyes narrowed, hearing heavy footsteps stomp through the entrance. Hazel eyes smoldered as they searched the common room for their target.

"How dare you!" he bellowed, approaching Kaydy angrily.

Kaydy, though admittedly confused, kept her glare strong and her face emotionless. Fred towered over him, ignoring his twin's desperate pleas to calm down. The rest of the Gryffindor house slowly began trickling in, each watching the dramatic scene before them with great interest.

"How dare you end our friendship and then leave me with this rubbish," Fred shouted, tossing the gift Kaydy had left at the Burrow for him. "Are you _trying_ to hurt me? Presenting me with these ruddy pictures of a time when we were actually friends? Trying to rub it in my face that that's no longer the case, are you?"

"If you think I'd intentionally hurt you, I think it's safe to say you're completely mental," Kaydy argued.

"Then why do it, Lupin? Why walk away from me but leave this behind?" he shouted pointing a long finger at the large binder.

"I made it before-"  
"Before you told me to leave? Before you fled from my home? Before you turned your back on me and our nine year friendship?" Fred's anger radiated from his body, his freckled face red and slightly sweaty.

"No," Kaydy said slowly. "Before you ruined everything!"

"I ruined everything? How the hell did I ruin everything? I'm not the one who ended this, Kaydynce, you did!" he shouted, his booming voice bouncing off the walls.

"No, Fred. This was over well before I left the Burrow," Kaydy growled.

"That was your fault," he retaliated lamely.

"My fault?! It was my fault?!" Kaydy shrieked, the flames in the fireplace bursting with new life brought on by her anger. "How dare you try to put this on me!"

"Well it's not my fault," he replied childishly.

"You know what, Fred? If you truly want to blame this on me, fine. This is why I left you with these bloody photographs to begin with. Because I don't want these memories anymore," Kaydy fumed.

Fred seethed before her, shaking his head in disgust.

"Fine. If you don't give a rat's ass about this friendship, then neither do I," he growled, venom lacing his deep voice.

With that, he pointed his thin wand towards the large binder on the table. Without uttering a single word, the book exploded, sending tiny bits of colorful confetti everywhere. Kaydy stared at the ruins before glancing back up at the boy who she used to call her best mate. She shook her head in disgust while he stormed up the boys' staircase without looking back.

"Alright, everyone, curfew is swiftly approaching," George called, sending the curious onlookers to their dormitories.

Kaydy slowly sank to her knees, gazing sadly at the bits of shredded paper surrounding her. She heard George's careful footsteps as he made his way to her across the common room. She felt him crouch beside her and lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she promptly shrugged off.

"Fred was bang out of order, mate," George said softly.

"Just leave me alone," Kaydy whispered.

"Right…" George whispered.

Watching him trudge up the stairs, Kaydy regretted pushing George away. But she knew there would be no possible way for her to remain friends with George while she and Fred were at each other's throats. She wondered if she'd even be able to remain friends with Haley. Kaydy struggled to inhale a breath as her fingers trailed over the heap of confetti. She gathered a few pieces and, like a handful of sand, watched them slip through the cracks between her fingers.

"So that's it? You're not friends with him anymore?" Draco confirmed for the fifth time that hour.

"Right," Kaydy said evenly.

"About time if you ask me," he said smirking smugly as he popped a raspberry into his mouth.

Kaydy sat beside Draco on their usual enormous tree branch the following morning, ignoring the bowl of fruit he had brought outside for her. Rather than sitting through an awkwardly silent breakfast at the Gryffindor table, Kaydy took refuge in that very tree for the entire eating hour. Draco, having heard the drama from the night before that had spread like wildfire, left the Great Hall in pursuit of Kaydy and found her exactly where he thought he would. He listened intently as she revealed what had happened over the Christmas holiday and what she had witnessed on the train ride.

"This is a good thing, Kaydy," Draco assured her.

"Losing one of my best friends, if not more? Of course it is," she muttered sarcastically.

"I've been telling you for years, the Weasleys aren't good company to keep. Besides, now we can spend more time together," Draco smiled slightly.

"In secret, you mean," she said bitterly.

"Well…for now, yes," Draco admitted. "But once you start to see things my way, I'll be able to bring you around the others, as well."

"See things your way?" Kaydy snorted.

"Well I can't have you hanging around the Slytherin common room ranting about Elf rights or muggle equality, can I?" Draco replied, and had it not been for the smile on his lips, Kaydy would have thought he was being serious.

"So I have to stop having morals and values to hang out with you and your slimy friends?" Kaydy inquired.

"Basically," Draco laughed loudly, a booming sound that reminded her of Fred.

"Did I tell you how he ruined the photo album I made for him?" Kaydy asked, Draco's laughter reminding her of Fred. "All the pictures I had in my possession of us…every picture ever taken…he destroyed them."

"You said that, yeah," Draco replied, almost uninterestedly.

He watched her closely, his bright blue eyes observing the way she stared at her knees and twisted her fingers into knots over and over again. He frowned at her, realizing how sad she really was and scooted slightly closer to her until their thighs were pressed together. He uncertainly wrapped his arm around her frame, pulling her to lean her body against his. Kaydy obliged, to his relief, and rested her cold cheek against the warm pale skin of his neck.

As Draco held her, he wondered why that vile Weasley boy had such a drastic impact on her. He could not wrap his head around the feelings she must have had for the bloodtraitor. He hated the Weasleys, Fred especially, and he loathed him even more now for making Kaydy so upset. He could not fathom how Fred could intentionally hurt her so. Draco was also extremely curious as to what Fred's feelings were for Kaydy. Did he like her? Did he honestly think Johnson was a better catch than she was? Was he upset over this division at all? Was he hurting like Kaydy?

Draco could not be sure of Fred Weasley's feelings. But he was certain of his own. He knew that the girl in his arms was the best thing to ever happen to him. He was positive that she was the only girl, the only person, in the world who would put up with him and his stubborn, arrogant ways. Kaydy was the only person he could actually call a friend, the only soul who truly knew who he was. She was the only girl he honestly cared for, the only one he didn't toy with or string along for fun. She was the only one who could make him feel this way. Kaydynce Lupin was the only girl capable of stealing his heart.

"A lot goin' on in there?" her sweet voice drew his attention.

She smiled up at him from his shoulder with her eyebrow arched and he slowly smiled back. He shook his head and tightened his grip around her shoulders, hoping his body heat was enough to warm her against the January chill. Minutes passed and Draco found himself toying with the idea of expressing his feelings for Kaydy. Now that she was Weasley-free, he figured his chances were good, if not better than before.

"You'd better go," she whispered, sadness creeping back into her soft voice. "Your minions are approaching."

Draco followed her gaze to the two ugly brutes bounding towards Hagrid's snow-covered hut for class. Kaydy smiled at him and moved out of his embrace, encouraging him to jump from the tree limb to meet his cronies before they could see who he was with. She watched him join them as the rest of the third years neared the hut, as well. She was surprised to catch his striking blue eyes watching her as she descended from the limb herself, a soft smile present on his lips.

Classes carried on just as Kaydy expected they would: the twins sat as far away from her as possible; Fred threw her nasty glares any chance he got; George and Haley smiled sympathetically from their spots at Fred's table. Kaydy ignored Fred for the most part, however she was undoubtedly upset that it seemed as though he was forcing Haley and George to stay away from her, as well. But rather than make it even harder for them, Kaydy kept her tongue tied, allowing Fred to keep her best friends from speaking to her.

At dinner time, Kaydy approached the Great Hall, but froze in the doorway. Her spot beside Fred had been taken by Angelina, who chatted away with Haley in Kaydy's absence. Although she had not planned to sit there anyway, it hurt nonetheless. Fred caught her staring sadly at his group and narrowed his eyes into slits, a spiteful smirk on his lips as he whispered something flirty into Angelina's raven hair. The girl giggled bashfully and Fred peeked over her shoulder to smirk daringly at Kaydy. In that moment, it became incredibly evident that she no longer knew who Fred Weasley was.

Kaydy shook her head at him and turned on her heel, leaving the Great Hall without eating. It didn't take long for Draco to find her sitting alone in one of the deserted sections of the library. He slid a porcelain plate overflowing with steak and potatoes across the wooden table top before pulling out the chair across from her.

"You didn't have to do that, Dray," she smiled softly.

"I don't want you to starve just because Weasley's a prat," he smiled back, handing her a sparkling silver fork and knife.

"Thanks," she whispered, cutting her steak into chunks. "Did you get to eat?"

"No, I sat down just before you got there. Once you left, I filled a plate and came after you," Draco admitted shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You should have eaten. You're too sweet to me," Kaydy shook her head, but smiled all the same.

"You deserve it," Draco said. "Besides, I never did apologize for the way I acted before we left for Christmas…about Lupin…I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Draco, I know it was a lot to handle," Kaydy replied after swallowing a mouthful of creamy mashed potatoes.

"I should have been more understanding. He is like your father, after all," Draco said, watching her eat her dinner.

Kaydy nodded thoughtfully. She wondered if there were anyway she could trace her biological parents. Despite how much she loved Remus, she desperately wanted to know her true family, where she truly came from, what blood ran through her veins. She made a mental note to do some research once life settled down a bit.

Across the table, Draco smiled at her while she enjoyed the meal he had brought for her. Smiling back, she cut a cube of meat allowing its hot deep red juices to drip from it as she stabbed it with her fork. Cupping her hand beneath it, she leaned across the table, offering it to the blonde boy.

"Eat with me," she insisted.

Draco obliged, taking the meat between his teeth off of her fork, the salty flavor soaking his taste-buds. He chewed the beef until it was small enough to swallow and he smiled thankfully back at the beautiful brunette. She continued to feed him across the table until the plate was clean and their bellies were full.

"You really ought to stop sneaking after me, Draco. You'll blow your cover," Kaydy smirked teasingly.

"I don't want to leave you alone," Draco replied, those his eyes darted nervously over his shoulder.

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl," Kaydy assured him. "Besides, I know how important your image is to you."

"Not more important than you are," he said quietly.

Kaydy smiled and her eyes danced away from his, a faint blush tinting her cheeks pink.

"How about this?" Kaydy offered. "We'll meet here every night after supper. And if anyone asks, Lupin's having me tutor you in Defense."

"Please. As if I need your help in Defense," Draco snorted loudly.

"Watch it, Malfoy," Kaydy warned, smiling at him.

"Fine," Draco agreed, rising to his feet. "See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, see you," Kaydy waved as he left and she swung her bag over her shoulder, exiting the library for the evening.

Kaydy went about her schedule for the next few weeks as normally as possible. However, life felt nothing near normal without the identical redheads flanking her sides. In truth, she had grown distant from all of the Gryffindors, even Harry. As much as she'd like to, Kaydy couldn't blame her loneliness solely on Fred. It was her own fault that Harry and the others rarely spoke to her anymore. She had pushed them all away slowly, whether she had intended to or not. As painful as it was to do so, Kaydy had to admit that she was not herself without him.

She was not as clever without Fred's witty banter to feed off of. She did not laugh nearly as loudly at Draco's jokes as she had at Fred's. Most importantly, she was not her kindhearted, selfless, and caring self without her best friend. She missed him terribly, and George and Haley as well. She missed staying up late in the girls' dorms with the beautiful blonde, gossiping about the other girls who hated them so much. Kaydy missed sneaking out of the Burrow with Fred and George to swim in the lake while the rest of the Weasleys were sound asleep in their beds.

She missed Fred's smile, and his eyes, and his laugh. She missed the way he'd shake his head at her when she'd make a stupid joke. She missed hearing his praise whenever she came up with a clever charm for his pranking products, the way he so willingly invited her to share in his dream. She missed his arms around her and his lips on her skin. She missed the way he called her, "Love."

But those days were long gone, now. Over a month of silence had made that perfectly clear. It killed her to do it, but Kaydy had to accept that this was her life now. And that life was sad, and quiet, and lonely. She tried to sit through meals at her House table, ignoring the awkward glances she'd receive, but try as she might, she couldn't stomach it. So, she stopped going to the Great Hall for meals and her absence seemed to have gone unnoticed by her fellow Gryffindors.

She sat alone in the far corner of the library at a dusty table in a poorly lit alcove. She flipped through the brittle pages of one of the countless ancient books piled high on the table and scanned the scroll quickly. Without finding any useful information, Kaydy closed the book with a boom, a thick puff of dust clouding the air.

"We're supposed to meet _after_ supper."

She brought her tired eyes up to meet his and frowned slightly. Draco smiled sympathetically and sat down across from her. Kaydy twisted a loose thread hanging from the sleeve of her gray shirt until it broke free. She drummed her fingertips against the tabletop, a slowly, droning rhythm until Draco's large hand clamped down on top of hers. She glanced up at him and almost flinched under his worried stare.

"You haven't eaten all day," Draco whispered sadly.

"I can't sit with them, and I've got nowhere else to go," Kaydy argued pathetically.

"Then let me bring food to you during dinner," Draco countered.

"I don't want you to," Kaydy argued, her volume increasing as her frustration rose inside of her.

"Don't push me away, too, Kaydy," Draco said, a hint of a glare present in his icy eyes.

She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She shook her head to herself and rolled her eyes. Her hand trembled beneath Draco's, and he rubbed soothing circles into the smooth skin of her palm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You've been so good to me, Draco. I'm sorry I've been so difficult."

"'S'alright," he said stiffly.

She half-smiled up at him before glancing back at the table.

"Find anything?" Draco asked, his eyes wandering to the pile of books scattered across the table.

"Not a damn thing," Kaydy grumbled in annoyance.

"There has to be something around here that will explain it. Some sort of records, or family trees, or something," Draco said thoughtfully.

"Maybe I'm just not meant to find anything," Kaydy said pessimistically. "I mean, maybe I'm better off not knowing who they were. What if they were foul, horrible people?"

"Like my parents, you mean?" Draco asked, smirking grimly.

"Well…yeah," Kaydy chuckled slightly.

"I'm sure an incredible girl like you couldn't possibly come from anyone too awful," Draco reasoned, skimming through a large boom himself.

"You did," Kaydy countered.

"I'm nothing like you," Draco argued.

"No, I suppose not. But you are pretty incredible," Kaydy smiled radiantly at him.


	10. Chapter 10

*****Thanks for reading! REVIEW!*****

**Only Joking**

**Chapter Ten**

Kaydy feverishly scribbled down the last of her notes before her final class of the day was dismissed. To distract herself from her newfound loneliness, Kaydy threw herself completely into her school work, earning herself the spot at the top of her class. She caught herself watching after the twins as they bounded clumsily through the doorway together, laughing loudly at some inside joke they shared. She frowned and tore her tired eyes away from the pair and began shoving her books inside her bag.

"Kaydynce," Remus called from his desk. "Stay for a moment, won't you?"

She obliged and trudged towards him, waiting in silence until the last of the students retreated from the classroom. She dropped her backpack to the floor and leaned her weight against his large oak desk, running her fingers through her long hair. She felt Remus' eyes on her, surveying her for answers she may not willingly give him.

"What is it, Kaydynce?" he asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You've become so withdrawn. That isn't like you," Remus noted.

"I've been focusing on my studies, I'm sure you've noticed," Kaydy countered.

"I haven't seen you with the twins lately, or even Miss James," Remus replied.

Kaydy shrugged glumly and picked at a loose thread hanging from the sleeve of her robes.

"Have you spoken to them since Christmas?" Remus inquired.

Kaydy shook her head and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, attempting to hide its quivering.

"Why not? What happened at the Burrow, Kaydynce?" he asked, worry creeping into his tired voice.

"Everything leading up to Christmas just…exploded," she explained carefully.

"Would you care to talk about it?" Remus asked gently.

"No," she replied simply.

"It's been three months, Kaydy," Remus tried to reason.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Kaydy remarked bitterly.

"Kaydy…" Remus began and Kaydy inwardly rolled her eyes, anticipating his lecture. "Your time here at Hogwarts won't last forever. You must cherish this time. You must savor the relationships you have and keep your friends close. The friendship you've developed with the Weasley boys is extremely special. You mustn't let anything tarnish that. The trouble is, we think we have all this time, time to make mistakes and time to fix them. The truth is, life is…far too short to quarrel with your loved ones, Kaydy. Please, take it from me."

Kaydy tried her best to ignore the fluid rimming Remus' coffee-colored eyes as they grew distant, evidently recalling a time when all of his best friends were by his side. She blinked rapidly and turned her face away from his until she regained her composure.

"I'm fairly certain whatever he did to upset you could not be worth throwing it all away," Remus half-smiled knowingly.

Kaydy gazed into his eyes, wondering how he could be so wise and reflected his smile. She lifted her bag back onto her shoulder and turned to leave the classroom.

"And Kaydynce," Remus called as she reached the doorway.

She turned to face him again.

"You best start eating in the Great Hall again, young lady," he warned.

Kaydy winced slightly and left the room for the night. She obeyed her guardian's wishes and entered the Great Hall for supper after changing out of her school uniform and dropping her bag off in her dormitory. She sat down in a vacant seat at the Gryffindor table and placed a small piece of chicken on her dinner plate. She ate slowly as her stomach, having adjusted to rarely eating, gave a sickening lurch upon every bite.

As more and more Gryffindors filled the table, Kaydy yearned to leave, to escape to her lonely alcove in the library. But under Remus' watchful eye, she continued to nibble on her chicken and sip her pumpkin juice. She sat in silence, glancing every now and then down the table to the area she normally would sit with her old friends. The four redheads laughed loudly between bites of food, the bushy haired girl shook her head in disgust, and the boy with the rimmed glasses chuckled halfheartedly at their antics. The blonde, however, was very quiet and her large blue eyes drifted towards to oversized doors, eventually falling on Kaydy. As their eyes met, Haley's sparked to life, while Kaydy's turned even sadder. Deciding she'd eaten enough to satisfy Remus, Kaydy rose to her feet and left the dining hall.

She did not go to the library that night, and she had hoped Draco would not wait for her for too long. They had spent the past two and a half months researching and still haven't found anything that revealed Kaydy's past, or her true family. Kaydy was growing increasingly frustrated and she needed a break from all the disappointment. She only hoped Draco would understand.

She sat alone in the far corner of the Gryffindor common room, flipping through the pages of the latest quidditch magazine. Her eyes lazily scanned the pages, but she could barely even feign interest. She drummed her nails against the table, finding comfort in the loud clicking noise that echoed through the dimly lit room. She had become unhealthily accustomed to silence unless Draco was around.

"Damn you, Fred! She's my best friend and I want to talk to her again!" a familiar voice shouted as the portrait hole banged open.

Kaydy flinched at the breech in silence and kept her eyes focused on the page.

"I've had enough of this! If you have an issue with her, that's your problem! I've let you manipulate me into shunning her for far too long. I'm going to talk to her, and if you don't like it, you can go to Hell!" Haley yelled storming away from the identical redheads.

Kaydy daringly lifted her eyes ever so slightly, just enough to see both of the boys watching Haley walk away from them. The blonde neared Kaydy's deserted table and the twins' hazel eyes fell on the brunette. She was surprised to see that they both looked equally pained until one pulled the other towards the boys' dormitories.

"Kaydy," Haley's voice spoke softly. "Can I talk to you?"

Kaydy glanced up at her before casting her eyes back down and nodding slowly.

"I've been a royal bitch to you, Kaydy, and I'm sorry," Haley said, a slight English accent working its way into her American voice. "I just…I didn't want to mess things up with George by going against his twin. I know that's no excuse. You have no reason to forgive me, I know that. But I miss you so much, and I would love to be friends again."

"Okay," Kaydy said quietly.

"Okay?" Haley asked uncertainly.

"Yeah," Kaydy whispered. "I've missed you too."

"I'm so sorry. I know it must have been really hard dealing with all of this alone. I should have been there for you," Haley said sadly.

"Yeah, but it's okay. I haven't exactly been alone," Kaydy replied.

"Malfoy?" Haley assumed.

"He's been great to me ever since…" Kaydy trailed off.

"I'm glad to hear it," Haley smiled. "Everyone's been so worried about you. Harry misses you like mad. He doesn't know what to do with himself without you around. He found out Sirius Black was his parents' friend…and he's the reason they're dead, too."

"What?" Kaydy asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Apparently Black led Voldy to the Potters. It's sad…he's Harry's godfather," Haley revealed.

"No way! Why didn't Remus ever tell me this?" Kaydy asked more to herself than Haley.

"Maybe he doesn't know," Haley offered.

"I'm so selfish," Kaydy cried. "I cut everyone out because I was hurt. Harry needed me, and I wasn't there."

"He doesn't blame you, Kaydy. He blames Fred, if anything," Haley said quietly.

Hearing his name sent a knife stabbing through her windpipe and she inhaled a sharp, painful breath.

"He misses you too, you know," Haley said cautiously. "Fred."

Another blow, deeper this time.

"George has been trying to talk to him, make him see some sense. But he's a stubborn one," Haley continued. "I think he realizes how wrong he was, that he took things too far, and now he doesn't know how to take it all back and fix it."

"I don't think there is any going back, now," Kaydy said solemnly.

"We both know you don't mean that," Haley argued gently.

"It's been too long. We haven't spoken in three months, Haley. It'll never be the same," Kaydy's eyes watered.

"Not right away, no," Haley agreed. "But you're Kaydy and he's Fred. Nothing in this world can keep you two apart forever."

"Only ourselves," Kaydy responded.

"Why don't you just talk to her, mate?" George questioned yet again. "Haley's down there right now with her. You could be too."

"Why don't you go, then?" Fred growled from his seated position at the foot of his bed.

"I will tomorrow, I can promise you that," George vowed.

"She'll forgive you, just like she'll forgive Haley and everyone else," Fred claimed. "Not me."

"Why not?" George asked, propping himself up on a nearby stool.

"Because I actually hurt her," Fred said guiltily.

He pressed the balls of his palms into his eye sockets, rubbing them angrily. He dragged his hand down his face before digging his fingertips into his jean-clad thighs. He shook his head to himself and breathed heavily through his flaring nostrils.

"Did you see the look on her face the night we got back from holiday? I destroyed everything in a matter of fifteen seconds. I destroyed her and I saw it all over her face, gleaming in her eyes. That image has been burned into my mind, haunting me every day since. I let our friendship slip between the cracks of my fingers long before Christmas without even realizing it. I took her for granted and caused her pain, and then I blamed that pain on her. I was wrong, and I know that now, but admitting that, apologizing won't take away the pain I've caused her," Fred said, his eyes stinging.

"But it's a start, Fred," George reasoned.

"Don't you get it?" Fred cried, jumping to his feet. "There's no going back, now! I can't fix this, George! I let too much time pass by to make it better."

"She'll forgive you," George argued certainly.

"She won't," Fred denied, tears dripping down his face.

"Listen to yourself, Fred!" George shouted, his frustration finally bursting forth. "This is Kaydy we're talking about, the same girl who gets attacked by her father every month, and forgives him every single time. The same girl who nearly bled to death after you hit her with a spell meant for Malfoy and forgave you for that. She will forgive you, Fred, you must know that."

"I don't deserve her forgiveness," Fred said somberly.

"That does not matter to Kaydy, Fred. You need only ask, and you shall receive," George said calmly.

"I miss her, Georgie," Fred whispered.

George slung his arm over his brother's shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"I know, mate," George whispered back.

"A werewolf?" Haley breathed, her eyes large as saucers.

"Yes, and I'm an animagus," Kaydy repeated, watching fear and wonder sparkle in Haley's blue eyes.

"And you follow him? Are you insane?" Haley squealed.

"I had to protect him," Kaydy defended. "Used to, anyway."

"You don't anymore?" Haley questioned as she crisscrossed her legs beneath her.

"Remus forbade me from following him anymore since my time in the hospital wing," Kaydy explained.

"He put you there?!" Haley shrieked.

"Shush!" Kaydy urged. "Yes, I followed him and we battled for a while."

"That explains those nasty gashes all over your body. I knew Fred couldn't possibly have inflicted that much damage," Haley said quietly, now.

Kaydy cleared her throat and nodded slowly.

"I used to brew a potion for him to make the effects of the full moon a bit easier for him to cope with. But after the accident, Remus decided it'd be best for Snape to brew his potion for him," Kaydy said bitterly. "I'm not to follow him ever again."

"I had no idea your life was so…wicked," Haley chuckled.

"I'm just full of surprises, eh?" Kaydy joked.

"You can say that again. So where does Malfoy fit in to all of this?" Haley asked thoughtfully.

"Nobody knows this but the twins, so you can't repeat it," Kaydy began and Haley nodded vigorously. "I've been close with Draco since second year, his first. I don't know what it is about him, really, but I find that I'm drawn to him. I know he can be a royal prat, but I have this feeling that there's more than meets the eye. He has a light inside of him and I'm determined to find it."

Haley's eyes dance across Kaydy's beautiful face. The blonde smiled slightly at her friend and fingered the diamond necklace around her neck.

"I probably sound completely mental," Kaydy mumbled, shaking her head at herself.

"I admire you Kaydy," Haley said softly. "You have a huge heart, bigger than anyone's I know. I may not agree with you about Malfoy, but I suppose he needs someone to believe in him just as much as the rest of us. I just hope he realizes how lucky he is to have you as a friend."

"Thank you, Haley," Kaydy smiled bashfully.

"You're welcome," Haley smiled. "And if he ever hurts you, I'll be forced to wring his neck."

Kaydy laughed louder than she had in months while Haley smiled innocently. After a couple of hours of catching up, the girls trudged upstairs to bed. For the first time in three months, Kaydy slept soundly. With things seemingly returning to normal, Kaydy awoke feeling refreshed and moved less sluggishly around the dormitory as she prepared for her day. After a quick shower, Kaydy left the bathroom with her hair dripping down her bare back. She held her towel tight to her body while she searched for her wand to dry her long locks.

She waved the stick around her head, drying her incredibly long hair into loose spirals. She dressed herself in a new pair of light denim jeans that hugged her slender hips perfectly and a tight pastel blue t-shirt. She pushed her chocolate ribbons over her shoulders, their soft tips brushing her exposed skin at the waistline of her jeans, and pulled her light blue sneakers on to her feet.

"Girl, we have got to get some meat on your bones," Haley said analyzing Kaydy's appearance.

Kaydy smiled timidly and sat down on her bed while Haley got ready. Kaydy applied a line of liquid eyeliner to her upper eyelid and painted mascara on her lashes before patting a small amount of blush to the apples of her cheeks. Haley left the bathroom, tossing her dirtied clothes in the hamper, and laced up her white sneakers. As Haley rose to her feet and parted her lips to speak, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she knitted her thin eyebrows.

"Oh, hi. How'd you get up here?" Haley smiled as she opened the bedroom door.

"Flew my broom to the landing," George replied cleverly.

Kaydy looked away as George's red head popped in to kiss Haley on the cheek. She twisted her fingers together until she was pulled to her feet and engulfed in a crushing embrace.

"I'm so sorry I've been such a git," he rushed. "I've missed you so much. Please be my friend?"

"Can't breathe…" Kaydy choked.

George released her, smiling sheepishly down at the little brunette. She glanced up at him and smiled back before slamming into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. George circled his long arms around Kaydy's shoulders and swayed their bodies slowly.

"I missed you, George," Kaydy whispered into his chest.

"I missed you, Kaydy," he replied pecking the top of her head lightly.

"George," Haley said carefully. "We should…go downstairs…"

George released Kaydy from his grip and they both brought their eyes to the doorway.

Kaydy's breath lodged in her throat, strangling the life out of her as she stared into his eyes; eyes so similar to his brothers, and still so unique. She felt her body begin to tremble and, as George gave her shoulders a final squeeze, she worried she may topple over without his arms to support her. She watched Haley and George leave the dormitory silently, shutting the door behind them with a deafening click.

His eyes lifted to glance at her, and hers darted to the floor as she stuffed her fingers into the back pockets of her denim pants. Fred watched her closely, noting how nervous she was standing in his presence. Was she afraid of him? Of what he might say, or shout rather? Or, like him, was she afraid this would be the end?

Fred wiped his sweaty palms against his denim jeans and cracked his knuckles nervously. He watched her rock her weight from one foot to the other, and she was visibly shaking. She tried to hide her quaking hands by tucking them into her back pockets, but he'd already seen.

"Kay," the name felt unfamiliar on his tongue.

She winced slightly. His voice, using his special name for her, made her heart leap clumsily into her ribcage. Her stomach twisted in violent knots and loops over and over again until she felt as though she'd be sick. Her chocolate eyes fluttered closed while she awaited his words.

But he said nothing else. Fred had rehearsed the conversation in his head a thousand times. He memorized the lines he would say to her. He wrote the perfect script, filled with words of remorse and sorrow that would earn her forgiveness. He would tell her how stupid he was and how she deserved a better friend than he; that he was sorry for all the pain he'd inflicted on her; that he missed her, and his life was miserable and meaningless without her.

However, his flawless speech was forgotten the moment he spoke her name. Fred opened and closed his mouth, resembling a fish, but none of the words he had worked so hard to prepare came out. He breathed deeply and pushed his fingers through his shaggy hair, attempting to formulate something of substance to say to her.

"I…Kaydy, I…" Fred stammered quietly. "I don't really know how to…"

Kaydy peeked at him from beneath her thick lashes and watched him nervously twitch his fingers. She pulled her small hand from her back pocket and pushed her soft bangs out of her eyes before twisting a long ribbon around her finger. After inhaling a trembling breath, she parted her pink lips to speak.

"I-"

"I'm so sorry for everything, Kaydy. I was horrid and stupid and cruel, and you have no reason to even speak to me. I know I take you for granted and you deserve a better friend, but I promise I can be better," Fred spluttered. "I should have been there and given you more of my time. It took me too long to realize the distance between us. But now that I've experienced life without you, I know that you're the best friend I've ever had. I need you, Kaydy."

His eyes gazed into hers as he spoke, the hazel orbs piercing through her. The words he couldn't find before slipped easily between his lips once their eyes locked. Fred blinked slowly, reluctant to stop looking at her for even the briefest of seconds. He watched her chest rise and fall rapidly as she let his words soak in. Her lips parted ever so slightly, her plump bottom lip quivered as she breathed. Fred tried his hardest, but he could not ignore the tears filling her beautiful chocolate eyes. As one dripped down her rosy cheek, he yearned to reach out and brush it away, to hold her and make her stop crying.

"Fred," she whispered, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

His name on her lips was all it took. Fred rushed confidently towards her and snaked his strong arms around her body. He held his breath until her slender arms wrapped around his waist, returning his desperate embrace. Kaydy pressed the damp side of her face into his hard chest, soaking his t-shirt with the tears that continued to leak from her eyes. She squeezed him to her as firmly as she could, clutching the thin crimson fabric in her fists while she sobbed. Fred held her to him, molding their bodies together. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head, her sweet scent flooding his nostrils as he inhaled. Fred rocked their weight, slightly swaying them from side to side, until Kaydy's tears subsided.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I missed you," Kaydy whispered back.

"I missed you too, more than you know," he mumbled into her thick hair.


End file.
